


Falling Stars (2006)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Anal Sex, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationship, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, M/M, Regret, Soul-Searching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-30
Updated: 2006-04-30
Packaged: 2018-01-21 19:34:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1561586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An ancient prophesy, an act of desperation, a chance for resurrection, and lots of cruel subterfuge. Just another `normal' summer in Domino...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Kaiba Seto sighed as he shut the front door to his estate and half-heartedly loosened his bowtie from around his neck. He'd just spent the evening at the quarterly KaibaCorp Shareholder's Gala, and he had loathed it. He hated the sycophantic, snivelling debutantes who crowded around him; he hated the pedantic, simpering elite who inundated him with false flattery and phoney smiles; but most of all, he hated the way all the happy, laughing couples reminded him of just how alone he truly was. The point was driven home as he walked through the silent hallways, his footfalls echoing on the gleaming marble tiles. Everything was cold, empty, and lifeless – just like he felt. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs, pausing outside his brother's bedroom door.

After a moment, he twisted the knob and stepped inside, turning on the overhead light. With a wistful sigh, he made his way over to the bed and sat down on the edge, looking around the empty room. He still couldn't believe that Mokuba was now twenty years old and attending school in California. Seto had been looking forward to his brother's return this summer; however, the younger man had secured himself a lucrative internship with one of the technology companies in Silicon Valley, and would not be back in Domino until the Christmas holiday. Glancing down at his watch, Seto realized that that was just a little more than six months from now. His gaze landed on Mokuba's nightstand, and he felt the corners of his eyes prickle when he picked up the locket that his brother had worn religiously up until the week before he had left for college. Then eighteen years old, the raven-haired boy had told the brunet that while he would always love him, he no longer saw the need for the `silly trinkets' of their childhood. Seto secretly suspected that Mokuba was worried about what his new peers and colleagues would think, and had left it behind so as not to appear sentimental and immature. Reflexively, the brunet brought his hand up to touch his chest, and he felt his throat constrict slightly when he felt nothing there. It was another painful reminder of just how lonely he was.

Exhaling heavily, he got to his feet and made his way to his room, shutting the door behind him and locking it out of habit, even though he knew no one was around to disturb him – the servants were all dismissed by 8:00 every evening. As he retrieved a pair of pyjamas from his bureau, he glanced at the picture he had on top of it. It was a photograph of him, Yugi, Jounouchi and Marik – the four Battle City finalists. He had only recently brought it out of storage, although he had never stopped thinking about the tight group of friends. A small smile crept across his lips; he had discretely kept tabs on each one, not wanting to lose track of them. Honda had graduated with a science degree, and had then gone on to teacher's college, and was now the head of the biology department at Domino High. Anzu had pursued her dream to be a dancer and was studying at the Juliard Academy in New York and performing in a small, but renowned, show off Broadway. Yugi had followed in his grandfather's footsteps and was studying archaeology and lecturing on Egyptology.   
He was in the process of finishing up his PhD, and was already promised tenure in the department upon a successful defence of his thesis. And Jounouchi… The blond had surprised him most of all. He had been a decent enough student in high school, but he had truly excelled in university. Not only had he enrolled in pharmacology, one of the most demanding disciplines, but upon his graduation, he had been chosen as the class valedictorian.

His expression grew dark as he thought about his time in high school. He had gone out of his way to push them all away, _especially_ Jounouchi. He had staunchly claimed that he hadn't needed anyone, that friendship was useless and he could manage on his own. But, it had all been false bravado. Truth be told, even back then, he could feel the faint tug of depression as he withdrew socially from everyone except his younger sibling. Now, exacerbated by his self-imposed isolation, that feeling had grown stronger. And, it was only in the mocking clarity of hindsight that he saw the error of his ways, and he regretted not forging those social ties. _Especially_ with Jounouchi…

Slowly, he started taking off his tuxedo, hanging the jacket and trousers in his closet and depositing his shirt in the laundry. He picked up his pyjamas, and then made a face. He needed to shower before going to bed – he felt dirty. In the circles he travelled in, he had a reputation as a bit of a playboy. This was a rumour the brunet could live with. He had demonstrated over the years that he was equally as comfortable with women as he was with men, and if there was one thing the elite liked to whisper about him, it was the fact that he'd never have the same companion twice. This evening had been no exception. His `date' had been a tall, lithe, raven-haired man, just a couple of inches shorter than him. He had had pale, glacier-blue eyes and had been exquisitely beautiful, just like all of Seto's previous escorts. But, truth be told, it wasn't that he was a philanderer – in reality, he found his partners insipidly vapid and, within an hour, he found he could barely tolerate their company. The only redeeming part of _any_ evening was these individual's willingness to throw themselves at him sexually, and for a few, brief moments, he was able to forget his melancholy.

Unfortunately, the feeling was fleeting, and as soon as he was finished, he would dress and leave without another word – without a backward glance at the other person. It wasn't that he was trying to be deliberately cruel. He just couldn't bring himself to stay due to the overwhelming sense of disgust he felt at the idea of seeking comfort in that manner, and afterwards, he always felt even emptier inside. And cheap. He was drawn from his musing by the suddenly overpowering smell of sex and inexpensive cologne, and he found it had permeated his skin and hair over the course of the evening. Feeling nauseous, he stepped under the spray, scrubbing viciously at his skin to remove all traces of the other man from his body.

When he was finished, he stood numbly under the showerhead and let the hot water cascade over his body, idly lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't until the spray had turned frigid and he'd started to shiver that he finally turned off the tap and stepped out. As he slipped into his pyjamas, his mind wandered back to the group of friends. Out of all of them, he had identified best with the blond, even though he had always acted like Jounouchi was beneath him. He didn't know why he had treated him so terribly – the blond certainly hadn't deserved it by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps it was because he had felt so drawn to him that he had pushed him so violently away. He glanced at his nightstand and saw the prescription slip that his doctor had written for him sitting there. It had been nearly two weeks and he had yet to get it refilled.   
Worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, he stared at it. If nothing else, it would give him a reason to look Jounouchi up, and maybe, if he was lucky, he would earn a second chance with them – with him. That thought consoling him somewhat, he slipped between the sheets and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, in a different part of town, three sets of eyes flew open in shock.

* * *

Yugi blinked sleepily and slowly sat up. "What is it, Yami?" he murmured, the sudden excitement of his other half jolting him awake.

_Can't you feel it, Aibou?_ the spirit asked through their mind-link. 

"Feel what? The only thing I feel is tired. It's one o'clock in the morning…"

_I'm sorry to have woken you,_ Yami apologized. _It just felt as if…_ He trailed off, catching sight of Yugi's computer. _Aibou, would you mind if I researched something really quickly? I promise no more than one hour…_

"Fine. But don't get mad at me if I fall asleep," the violet-eyed man conceded before he allowed the spirit to come forth and take control of their shared body.

Hurriedly, Yami booted up the laptop and immediately sought out the National Astronomical Society. Finding the necessary star charts, he clicked on one in particular, an excited buzz rippling through his frame. "By the gods, Yugi, I never thought it would be possible, but…" His crimson eyes sparkling, he smiled broadly. "Aibou, I never mentioned this before because I thought the possibility was far too remote, but there _might_ be a way for me to have my own body – to stand beside you in corporeal form!"

At these words, Yugi was suddenly wide awake. _What? How?_

Yami gestured to the star charts. "As you know, we Egyptians were great astronomers. We used the positions of stars in rituals, in the building of temples and pyramids, everything. Two of our major stars of reference were what you now call Thuban, found in the constellation Draco, and Sirius. These two stars will come into alignment with the full moon on August 4th. When these three heavenly bodies are so aligned, it is prophesized that Thoth will come forth to lead the souls of the kindred spirits like me that are trapped in this world to the Hall of Ma'at to be judged. If they are found to have been good, they will be granted passage back to the realm of the living, otherwise, Ammut will devour their souls and they will never find their final resting place in the land of the dead."

_There has to be more to it than that,_ Yugi sighed. _Right?_

"I'm afraid so, Aibou. Sirius is in Orion, who represents the great hunter. He needs to tame Draco, the wild dragon, before Thoth can come forward, even though the gate is opened. On earth, there is always a living manifestation of these two mighty creatures. In this lifetime, they are fortuitously represented by Jounouchi and Kaiba – I'm assuming that this is because they have old souls with strong ties to Egypt. If the two of them can come together and bond in mind, body and soul before the Festival of the Dead on the fourth, the ritual will be complete."

_You mean, they have to –_

Yami chuckled, stopping the thought. "Yes, Yugi. I never thought it would be possible, given my ancient cousin's attitude, but tonight – tonight I felt _something_ …a stirring of emotions. It filled my heart and gave me hope."

_So, what should we do?_

"Nothing, I'm afraid. If we interfere and they are forced, the results could be the same as if they never got together at all. The best we can do is encourage them, and let whatever happens happen." Shutting down the computer, he let Yugi resume control of their body, looking forward to the next few weeks with great anticipation and trepidation.

* * *

Marik clutched his chest, a pained groan escaping his lips. "Fuck, Bakura…what the hell just happened?" He turned his violet eyes to the white-haired spirit sitting up in bed beside him. 

The tomb robber grimaced as he, too, rubbed at an unseen ache in his chest. "The priest," he sneered, a sinister smirk curving his lips upwards. "It looks like the feelings I believed lay dormant in him are starting to manifest themselves. How inconvenient."

"Kaiba?" Marik asked, wide-eyed. "What the hell does _he_ have to do with this?"

"For a tomb-keeper, you're grossly ignorant when it comes to important matters," Bakura stated matter-of-factly as he rolled his eyes in exasperation. Ignoring the indignant huff from the other, he quickly explained the `unique' situation that they currently found themselves in, and how the pain they were experiencing was physical evidence that their souls were being slowly drawn back to the land of the dead.

"Fucking hell!" Marik exclaimed in a panic, a small scowl playing across his lips when he felt the excited flutter from his other half. "And fuck you, too, Malik! You're not getting rid of me that easily!" Bringing his attention back to the other spirit, he demanded, "So? What are we going to do about it? We're seriously screwed, you know that, ne?"

"Shut up, idiot," Bakura said as he stifled a yawn. "So the priest has had a few passing thoughts about his cur. It's nothing to be concerned about – they haven't exactly kept in touch, you know. _Nothing_ is going to happen between the two of them, and if by some _bizarre_ twist of fate it does, we'll worry about it then. Given how volatile they are, it shouldn't be that difficult." He heard the cries of protest from Ryou, and loosing an irritated growl, he banished his softer half to the darkest parts of his psyche. With a smirk, the white-haired spirit continued, "Besides, after the Festival of the Dead has passed, the two of them can do whatever the hell strikes their fancy." His smirk widened and he leered lecherously at the platinum-haired man. "Speaking of which…" Before Marik could even think about reacting, Bakura had him pinned to the bed and was nipping harshly at his throat and grinding his hips forcefully against him.


	2. Chapter Two

Seto glanced at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes and rolled his eyes impatiently as he sat stiffly on the small bench against the wall. For nearly half an hour, Jounouchi had been busy helping an elderly lady choose an over-the-counter analgesic, all the while listening to her go on in great, agonizing detail about her innumerable ailments, how her doctor was nothing but a quack, and how she was convinced she was knocking at death's door as they spoke. With infinite patience and good humour, the blond had engaged her in conversation, finally giving her a box of pills and sending her on her way. Seeing that Jou was headed back to the counter, he got to his feet and waited to be acknowledged. He felt an uncharacteristic wave of nervousness wash over him, and he absently fingered the folded slip of paper he had carefully tucked into the pocket of his suit jacket. 

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Jou greeted warmly as he smoothed down the front of his white lab coat. Raising his head to smile at his next customer, he continued, "Sometimes it takes a little – Kaiba?" His amber eyes widened in momentary shock as he stared into the sombre face of the brunet. He let his gaze rove over the other man – Seto looked exactly the way the blond had remembered him, except for his eyes. They were a lot more serious now. His pulse quickened, and as his old memories resurfaced, he felt all the past emotional wounds reopen. It seemed that time could _not_ erase the hurt after all. Narrowing his eyes, he demanded coolly, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," the brunet replied simply.

Jou snorted in mock amusement. "Right. Just out of the blue, you decided to come see me. Forgive me when I tell you that that sounds like the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard. Give me _some_ credit, Kaiba – I might be naïve sometimes, but I'm not an idiot."

"I know you're not," Seto replied quietly. "And that really _is_ why I came here."

The blond studied him curiously for a moment. He had expected some sort of snarky retort, or an imperious sneer at the very least. Suddenly, a cold smile curved across his features. "You've changed your strategy. What's this one? You wait until I lower my defences, and then start in?"

The brunet shook his head. "No, Jounouchi. No games. I gave those up a long time ago. And, truth be told, I've regretted playing them in the first place. You didn't deserve the things I said to you, and I truly am sorry. I was hoping that by now you might be able to forgive me for being so cruel. Maybe…maybe we could talk about things over coffee?"

The shorter man looked away as he felt his heart clench. After all this time, Kaiba couldn't finally mean… Swallowing harshly, he steeled himself and scowled at the other. "That's fucking rich. Back then, you wanted nothing to do with me; you called me worthless and pathetic, and in your own mind you were too good to even speak civilly to me. And now that I've finally beaten the odds and made something decent out of my shitty past, you suddenly show up and want to renew old ties. Well, get bent, Kaiba. At one point, I'd have jumped at the chance to be friends with you, but now you can take your apology and your regrets and shove them both. You don't deserve my forgiveness," he snarled defensively, the anger and malice in his eyes contradicting his true feelings. "Now, unless you've got `business' here, I'm through talking." The blond's annoyed glower turned to an expression of shocked disbelief when the brunet's sapphire eyes clouded with an unspeakable sadness and he merely nodded.

"I don't blame you. I wouldn't give me a second chance, either," Seto said seriously as he reached into his pocket for his prescription and handed the slip of paper to the other. "I'll have my runner pick this up for me later. Take care then, Jounouchi." He gave him a small smile, and then turned and left.

`What the hell was _that_ all about?' Jou wondered to himself as he unfolded the chit. He frowned in concern when he saw the extensive list of antidepressants, his eyes darkening with worry when he saw that the refill had been written well over two weeks ago. "Shit," he muttered under his breath as he glanced toward the now-empty doorway. Dropping the order in the `to do' tray, he picked up the phone and dialled Yugi's number. A quick glance at the clock told Jou that the spike-haired man would still be in classes, and when the answering machine picked up, he said, "I think I fucked up big time, Yug'. I need to talk to you…meet me at our usual place around 5:30, ok?"

* * *

Yugi arched a curious eyebrow when he walked in the door of Burger World that evening. Jounouchi was sitting at their usual booth, and as he slid across the red vinyl, the second brow joined its mate when he saw the veritable smorgasbord of items set out in front of the blond. "Did you skip lunch or something?" the smaller man asked as he stole an onion ring from the basket, and beckoned to the waitress to bring him his `usual' cheeseburger and cheese fries.

"No, I had lunch," Jou mumbled as he picked at his poutine. "How was class today?"

Yugi shrugged non-committally as he helped himself to more of the onion rings. "It was alright. I wish I could get through to the first-year students that archaeology is more about research and digging through old records and sheets of parchment than it is about jetting off around the globe like Indiana Jones. I mean, Grandpa didn't even _start_ field work until he'd been studying for like, ten or fifteen years!"

The two friends chatted idly about Yugi's thesis and his classes until the waitress returned with the spike-haired man's dinner. "Ok Jou," he finally said as he took a bite of his burger. "Why'd you call me down here tonight?"

The blond sighed heavily as he finished off his fries and turned his attention back to his own cheeseburger. "You'll never guess who came into work today."

A small twinkle crept into the other man's amethyst eyes. "Kaiba."

Jou's mouth dropped open in shock. "How the fuck did you guess?"

Yugi chuckled softly. "A hunch; he's the only one who could _ever_ get you brooding to the point where you drown your sorrows in deep fried everything." He nodded his head toward the cornucopia of dishes, and his grin widened at the other's sheepish smile. 

"God, Yug', I thought that after high school, I could put everything behind me, you know? And I thought that I had…until he showed up today." In agitation, he ran a hand through his blond tresses and then stacked the empty baskets on the end of the table. "I mean, I hadn't thought about him in _that_ way in like, forever, but as soon as I saw him and he spoke to me, _everything_ came rushing back – the good _and_ the bad."

"So, what happened?"

"He told me he was sorry for what he'd done in high school, and that he wanted to go for coffee."

"Well, that's _good_! Isn't it?" Yugi studied the crestfallen expression on the blond's face. "Jou?"

"I thought it was a trick. I basically told him to fuck off; that I didn't need him or his apology." He looked into the wide, amethyst eyes. "The thing is, Yug', he didn't argue with me or anything…he just kind of…accepted it and left." He worried his bottom lip as he recalled all the prescriptions he had dispensed for the brunet that morning. "Jesus, Yugi…I really think that he was being genuine, and I turned him away." Jou polished off his burger and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Or, am I just being naïve again?"

Yugi opened his mouth to reply, only to promptly close it. Remembering what Yami had told him, he finally said, "I think that you need to talk to _him_ about that, Jou. Decide for yourself what his intentions are. Just keep in mind that Kaiba's a very guarded individual, and that he doesn't do anything without a reason." He smiled at his friend knowingly. "He's also a much better friend than we ever gave him credit for."

The blond quirked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? How do you figure?"

Leaning back against the booth, Yugi sighed. "I can't speak _for_ Kaiba, you understand; I can only speculate and offer my own theories." He saw the other nod, and he continued, "I really think he _wants_ some sort of companionship, but for whatever reason, he's been reluctant to come out and ask – too proud. Instead, he's been watching us, and secretly helping us when we need it." He saw Jou's dubious look, and turning to gaze into the amber eyes, he nodded. "It's true, Jounouchi. Remember the bad spell the shop went through about a year and a half ago? Well, Grandpa very nearly lost everything because business was in a bit of a slump. He went down to the bank to plead his case and ask for an extension on his bills, only to find that his mortgage for the next five years had been paid in full. And Anzu? She was offered a position in a fairly large production during her last year of school. Students _never_ get looked at by the major companies, but some big shot producer got a call to at least check her out, and that got her foot in the door. Now she's doing more prestigious shows and landing bigger roles."

"How do you know it was Kaiba? It could have been anyone."

The wild-haired man rolled his eyes and giggled. "Oh come on, Jou! Who else _but_ Kaiba has that kind of money just sitting around to be able to use for Grandpa? Yeah, maybe Otogi does, but Grandpa's his competition. As for Anzu, she recently found out that it was an `influential friend from home' who had made the initial contact for her. Who else do we know that wields that kind of power?"

"I suppose so," Jou replied quietly. "You guys are lucky – he obviously likes you."

Amethyst eyes narrowed slightly. "Now cut that out, Jounouchi! _You_ were the one he sought out to talk to today – not me, not Honda. So don't go telling me he wants nothing to do with you."

"Ok, maybe that's true _today_ , but he's never even acknowledged me since high school, let alone done anything for me."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked seriously, and Jou's head snapped up to stare at him. "Kaiba works quietly, behind the scenes. He doesn't want to call attention to the fact that he's done something. God, most of the time, I'd bet you wouldn't know something had happened unless you knew what you were looking for." Finishing off his meal, he glanced at his watch and asked, "You feel like catching a movie or something? If we hurry, we can make the 7:00 show…"

"Nah, thanks anyway, Yug'," the blond replied. "Although, if it's not too much trouble, think you could give me a ride home?"

"No problem."

"And do you think we could go the long way…you know, for old time's sake?"

Yugi's smile widened. "Sure."

The two friends paid their bills and walked out to where Yugi's car was parked. After unlocking the passenger door for Jou, Yugi slid into the driver's seat. Jou couldn't help but smirk. The wild-haired man had not grown that much since high school, and whenever he was behind the wheel, the blond's mind would immediately conjure up an image of the stereotypical little old lady who couldn't see over the dashboard. The only difference was that Yugi was a crazy driver with a lead foot.

As they drove, they fell into animated reminiscing about their high school days. By the time they passed Domino High, both were laughing so hard they had tears coursing down their cheeks, and when Yugi nearly hit a parked car, they both decided to pull over until they could regain some sense of composure. "Jesus Christ, Yug', we really have to do this again sometime! Maybe drag Hon' and the others along…" The blond grinned, feeling better now than he had all day.

The shorter man nodded, still sniggering softly. "Yeah…this has been fun!" After a few moments, they were back on the road, and they fell into a companionable silence. They toured around their old stomping grounds for a little longer, and then Yugi announced that they should probably be heading back.

Jou exhaled heavily when they cut down a side street that took him through his old neighbourhood. It had been bad when he'd lived there, and as time had progressed, things had only gotten worse. The area was full of rundown buildings and rusted out old cars, and the vacant lots were overrun with dandelions and other weeds – the closest things to `flowers' that grew in such a noxious environment. When they turned back onto the main street that would take them across town, the blond suddenly bolted upright in his seat as he spied something that was _very_ out of place. Parked outside of `The Crazy Fox' was a brand new, silver Maserati Quattroporte GT Sport, the license plate reading, `KC 003'. "Fuck, Yug'! Stop!"

The smaller man hit the brakes none-too-gently, and looked over at his passenger with slightly panicked eyes. "What is it, Jou?"

"That car… _Kaiba's_ here. What the hell's he doing at a shit hole like this?" Before his diminutive friend could answer, the blond was already climbing out of his seat.

"Jou, wait! Do you want me to come with you, or at least wait for you, and give you a ride?"

"Nah; thanks anyway, pal. I'm sure you've got better things to do."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked, forcing back a smile. He already knew what the blond's answer would be.

"Yeah, I'm good. Worse comes to worst, I'll catch a cab or something. God damn, I'll be happy when my car's out of the shop." He paused, leaning on the window and peering inside. "We're still on for tomorrow, right?"

"You bet!" the spike-haired man replied, this time letting his grin escape. "And it's Otogi's turn to pick, so who knows how it's going to go." He laughed outright at the disgruntled look on the other's face, and with a quick wave, he was gone.

Jou smiled and waved back as his friend drove off, his expression sobering as Yugi's tail lights disappeared into the night. With a sigh, he turned to the dark brick building behind him. The Crazy Fox. Just the name sent a shudder of disgust through Jou's body. When it had first opened many years ago, it had been a cheery local bar, but soon after, the gloom of the neighbourhood had infiltrated it, and it had quickly become just another hangout for the lowlifes and degenerates of the area. And, it had been the establishment of choice for Jou's father when he wanted `a night on the town'. The younger blond had quickly come to know the staff. When he was young, he had spent many nights sitting silently on a barstool eating stale peanuts and trying not to call his father's attention to him, and when he'd been older and able to stay by himself, he had been summoned there on far too many occasions to remember to retrieve the elder Jounouchi. After he had left home, he had hoped that he'd never have to set foot in the place again. And yet, here he was… 

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dreary darkness and his lungs to acclimatise themselves to the smoky haze. The irony of the situation was not lost on the blond – just like it had been with his father, he was there to see someone who had always treated him like shit. And, just like it had been with his father, despite the brazen claims to the contrary, he still cared for him. A pained tremor wracked his body at his admission: he still cared. "God damn it," he muttered under his breath, slightly irritated with himself for still carrying that particular torch.

"Katsuya? Kit-Kat?" 

A sultry alto, now slightly raspy after years of working in the smoke-filled environment, called out to him, and a genuine smile crept across Jou's lips as he turned to the bar. "Hello, ChiChi."

The petite brunet woman beamed at him, easily hopping up and over the polished wood to throw her arms around him in a tight hug, nearly cutting off his air supply in her fervour. Despite her short stature and slight frame, she had a fiery temper, and Jou had quickly learned to do what she told him – as had the staff and countless patrons that frequented the bar from time to time. She was friendly and easy going, but she didn't take any crap from anyone, either. "Jesus, you're looking good! My little baby is now a man." 

The blond returned her embrace, chuckling softly against her cheek and feeling a sense of comfort wash over him when he smelled her perfume – it had always reminded him of green apples. "Maybe, but you're still as stunning as ever. I'm surprised some rich sugar-daddy hasn't come to sweep you off your feet yet." ChiChi was probably the closest thing to a mother figure that Jou had had in his life as he was growing up. They had first met under less auspicious circumstances when he was ten years old – he had been caught with his arm trapped inside a vending machine as he was trying to steal a candy bar, and she had been less than impressed at the audacity of a little runt trying to rip her off. Nevertheless, her heart had melted when she'd seen the pained (and somewhat panicked) look on the little blond's face, and after gently extricating him, she had even bought him the chocolate bar he had so desperately craved – hence, his nickname. Well, that, and the fact that she found him just so damned sweet.

"What, and leave the romance and allure of all this behind?" she teased, giving him a small wink. "So, what brings you back here after all this time?"

"You, of course! I've been missing my main squeeze," he purred flirtatiously, his own eyes glinting mischievously. Despite his joking, there was a modicum of truth to his words – for a woman fast approaching fifty, she was still incredibly attractive.

"Flatterer," she chided, slapping him lightly on the arm. "You always were a charmer, Kit-Kat. Don't ever change; this old lady likes hearing she's pretty every once in a while." She grinned at him, and then said, "Now that you've made me feel young again, what _really_ brings you here?"

"I saw a friend's car out front, and wondered if he was maybe in here."

ChiChi arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow and stared at him with her pale, grey eyes. "Don't tell me that tall, cool drink of water in the corner belongs to you," she said.

"N-no," Jou stammered, feeling his cheeks heat when she merely gave him a knowing smirk. "I'm serious," he continued. "He's just someone I knew…know…whatever."

"Mm hmm," she replied as she pursed her lips together. "Well, he's been in here for a couple of hours now, I'd suspect. Gave me a tip that was more than I'll make in a week and asked me to leave him alone. Told me that if I did, he'd double it when he left." Returning to her place behind the bar, she drawled, "But, I never promised I'd keep _others_ from bothering him." Nodding her head in the direction of the booths, she murmured, "Go. Take care of what you have to do. If you need anything, I'll be here."

"Thanks, ChiChi," the blond replied as he leaned over the countertop and pressed a small kiss to her cheek. He made his way through the darkness, and stopped about two feet from the table. "Oh shit…"

Seto was sitting alone, his head pillowed on the forearm that rested on the edge of the table. He was staring unseeingly at the shot glass in front of him, his free hand gracelessly spinning it and making it wobble like a very off-balance top. Off to his side, and about two-thirds empty, was a 26-oz bottle of vodka. Suddenly, the brunet scowled at some thought that passed through his head, and as his eyes grew even glassier, he sat up and poured another shot, quickly downing it with a grimace and then returning to his previous posture. This time, the sapphire gaze caught sight of Jounouchi. "You're not supposed to be here," the brunet said slowly, carefully making sure to enunciate every syllable.

"And _you're_ not supposed to be drinking alcohol with the medications you're on!" Jou retorted crossly as he sat down opposite him and set the bottle on the bench beside him.

"You're not my fucking mother," Seto replied crossly, the languid speech making the comment seem more ominous.

"Kaiba, I'm serious. Alcohol is supposed to be avoided with those pills."

"Then you'll be happy to know that I haven't taken any. And I haven't for a while now – maybe a month." A small smirk crept across his features at his mini act of defiance.

Jou's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Kaiba, why the hell not? Your doctor obviously thought you should be taking them, or he wouldn't have prescribed them!"

"They make my thoughts feel woolly. I don't like that," the brunet replied with a blasé shrug. "Although, sometimes I wonder if that might not be a bad thing…" he murmured, almost as an afterthought.

The blond let out a disdainful snort. "And just what the fuck do you think alcohol does to your brain?"

Again, Seto replied with an offhanded shrug. "Alcohol's temporary…by tomorrow, everything will be sharp and focused again…and will hurt like hell." He blinked slowly, and turned his gaze back to the other man. "I thought I'd give `escapism' a try."

"Yeah…so'd my old man. Fifteen years of it took its toll, too. He wound up with a fucked up liver and a bad heart, and when he decided that the meds were eating up too much of his drinking budget, well…that was all she wrote."

"Jesus…you _are_ my mother," the brunet snorted. "Save yourself the lecture; I'm not interested. I just want to make it stop hurting for a while."

Jou sighed and looked down at the bottle sitting beside him. "You could have at least bought something good…you could strip paint with this stuff."

"I didn't choose it for the enjoyment factor…" Seto ran his finger along the bottom of the glass, licking the drop from the tip.

"I think you've had enough for tonight, Kaiba." He slid out of the booth, taking both the glass and the bottle with him. "I'm going to go get us some coffee, ok?"

"Oh. So _now_ you'll have coffee with me?" He sighed heavily and traced his finger along the table edge. "And you accuse me of playing games…"

The blond's step faltered slightly. The words cut deep, the raw honesty of the statement hurting more than any malicious insult ever did. "Let me get that coffee, and then we'll talk," he replied lowly before heading to the bar. He set the bottle on the counter and smiled softly when ChiChi came over.

"Had enough, has he?"

"According to him, no. But I'm switching him over to the hard stuff. Can you give me a carafe of coffee, Babe?"

She gave him a teasing wink in return, and set coffee, cups, cream and sugar on a tray and handed it over to Jou. "I know you're probably out of practice, but carrying a tray's like riding a bike – you never really forget."

The blond grinned in thanks and carried everything back to Seto's booth. Sliding back onto his bench, he poured a cup for the brunet and pushed it to him. After the taller man waved off both cream and sugar and sipped slowly at his drink, Jou looked at him seriously. "Kaiba, how long has this been going on? And why are you suddenly interested in looking up the old ties to your past?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

An irritated growl escaped Jou's lips. "You know God damned well what I'm talking about!" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Now cut the bullshit and just answer the question!"

The brunet narrowed his eyes slightly. "No, I _don't_ know. You need to be more specific with your questions." The smallest hint of a smirk tugged at his lips. "If you're talking about my drinking, that started tonight. If you're talking about the medication, my doctor prescribed it about three months ago. And, if you're talking about this alleged depression of mine…" He took a deep breath, his expression sobering completely as a slight despondency crept into his eyes. "I really can't say." He saw the blond's mouth turn down in a scowl, and he said quietly. "It's not just because I really don't want to say; it's because I don't know for certain." He exhaled heavily, poured another cup of coffee, and reluctantly continued, "I would imagine it began toward the end of high school. I really started to notice after we graduated, and things got progressively worse after Mokuba left for university."

"Kaiba, that's like, _seven_ years, at least!" Jou protested, his anger all but gone as he stared incredulously at the man across from him. "Why the hell didn't you get help before now?" Before the other could answer, the blond's eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh, Kaiba," he said softly. "You can't do _everything_ on your own…"

"I thought that it would go away, that I was just at a crossroads and needed to work through things," he murmured quietly, and Jou had to lean forward to hear what was being said. The alcohol-induced buzz was starting to wear off, and the numbed indifference in the sapphire eyes was slowly being replaced with a deep sadness. "But, the harder I tried, the worse things got. I'm tired of being surrounded by all these idiotic people who have nothing useful or intelligent to say. I miss…" He shook his head. "Never mind."

Jou watched him for a moment, surprised and a little concerned when he saw the brunet wall himself off emotionally again. He decided not to press further for now; he'd readdress the issue in a while. "So, what were you doing in this part of town anyway?"

"Reminiscing. How sentimental of me, ne?" he quipped acerbically as he snorted into his cup.

"I don't live around here anymore. Me, Yug', Honda – we've all moved."

"I know." He set down his cup and stared pointedly across the table. "I've kept tabs on you and your group."

Jou nodded, "Yeah, Yugi told me. He also told me about what you'd done for his Gramps and for Anzu." His brow furrowed in thought. "But why?"

The brunet snorted derisively, his lips curving down in a frown. "Figures Yugi would be the one to out me." He dropped his gaze to the tabletop and ran his finger lightly around the rim of his cup. "I don't regret much, Jounouchi, but I do regret how I acted back then. I had the perfect opportunity right in front of me, and I just threw it away. Gone – like that!" He emphasized his point by snapping his fingers. "I suppose I miss the daily interaction…"

"You could have come and talked to us, you know."

"Right," Seto replied with a wry smirk. "Like this morning." A flash of pain washed across the blond's face, and the brunet shook his head. "Don't. It was to be expected." His expression grew wistful, and he rested his elbows on the tabletop, propping his chin up in his hands. "How was school?" he asked suddenly.

"It was good," Jou replied, cocking his head to the side in curiosity. "As undergrads, Honda and I had almost the same schedule – we both majored in biology…" He trailed off, studying the other man. "But you knew that, ne?"

Seto nodded. "Yes. I enjoyed your valedictory address, by the way."

"You were there?" The blond's eyes widened in complete astonishment.

"Yes, but I left right after the ceremony." 

"Why?"

"It was something I needed to see." He sat up and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I won't keep you any longer; I'm going to go."

"You're not driving, are you?" Jou asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"I had thought about it," the brunet admitted. "Although, I don't think I want to anymore."

"I'd offer to give you a ride, Kaiba, but my car's in the shop. I'll wait with you if you want."

"Or you could just drive _my_ car, and then I'll have my driver take you home…" Without waiting for the blond to reply, Seto slid out of the booth, left a tip for ChiChi, and took a few hesitant, wavering steps toward the door. He gave his head a small shake, the action seeming to clear the fog from his mind as his movements became a little steadier. Once he was outside, the fresh air appeared to have a sobering effect on him, and he sauntered over to his car and unlocked it. He heard Jounouchi coming up behind him, and as he passed the blond his keys, he poured himself into the passenger seat, slouching down slightly and gazing out the window after putting on his seatbelt.

Knowing it was pointless to argue with the brunet on the best of days, let alone when he was intoxicated, Jou slid behind the wheel of the Italian sports car, and promptly let out a frustrated groan. "Fuck…"

"What's the matter?" Seto asked as he turned his head to the blond.

"I don't know how to drive stick," he murmured. "Looks like you're going to have to call for a ride after all."

"Don't be stupid. I'll teach you."

"Kaiba, you're fucking drunk!"

"I may be drunk, but I'm not incompetent. The worst thing that happens is you ruin the clutch – it's not a big deal. Now, start the car." When the blond turned the key and nothing happened, the brunet grimaced slightly. "Oh right…you have to depress the clutch to start it." As soon as the engine roared to life, he continued, "Ok, put your foot on the brake, and take off the parking brake – and we're in first gear…good. Now, move your foot from the brake to the gas, and slowly let up on the clutch…" He used his hands to illustrate his words, and he grinned when the blond popped the clutch too quickly and stalled the car. "Try it again." This time, Jou managed to get the car moving by giving it too much gas and he squawked the tires as they took off; however, when he caught a red light not even a block away, the whole process repeated itself. By the third light, the blond had stalled the car eight times, and Seto lost it. Bursting out laughing, he turned to the now-scowling Jounouchi, the petulant expression on the blond's face only making him laugh harder.

"You know, common courtesy says that you don't fucking _LAUGH_ at someone when they're trying to do you a favour!"

Still giggling, Seto replied, "I'm not laughing at you, Jounouchi. It's just – driving a manual transmission is a lot like dancing. It takes a bit of coordination, but it's easy once you get the hang of it. I just assumed you'd be good at it since your movements are always so graceful and fluid."

The blond's cheeks heated slightly in a pleased blush. "You really think so?"

The brunet nodded his head where it was resting against the seat. "Mm hmm… But you need to relax. It's just a car; stop acting like you've got some valuable treasure in your possession and treat it like a machine."

Filled with renewed confidence and feeling more at ease, Jou tried again. The remainder of the trip was incident free – except for when they arrived at Seto's home. Forgetting that he had to turn the car off _before_ taking his foot off the clutch, he stalled the car with a violent jerk and turned sheepishly to his passenger with a murmured, "Oops."

The brunet, who was still scooched down in his seat, lazily turned his head to the side and gave the blond a dismissive wave and a small smile, looking contented for the first time all evening. He took the keys when they were passed to him, and he said softly, "Thank you for spending your evening in my company. I know it probably wasn't how you'd pictured spending a Friday night, but it was nice to imagine that we were actually friends." When Jou didn't respond, a trace of melancholy crept into Seto's eyes, making his grin waver slightly. After a moment, he looked away. "I'll arrange for my driver to take you home." With minimal effort, he managed to get the door open and disentangle himself from the seatbelt as he got out of the car.

As Jou watched the brunet walk up the flagstone driveway and to the porch, he saw the tiniest slump of shoulders in the otherwise proud form. Suddenly, he was struck by a thought – despite the cocky swagger and smug attitude, Kaiba Seto was lonely. After having been put above everyone for so long, by both himself and by others, he'd had to fall a lot farther before he had understood what he'd needed. And finally, the stubborn brunet had embraced it, rather than rejected it. "Hey Kaiba, wait!" Hurriedly, he got out of the car and ran to catch up to the other man. "I was thinking, people make mistakes, and I'm sorry for being such an ass to you this morning. We've both grown up since high school, and I guess you deserve a second chance. I'm getting together with Yugi, Honda, Otogi and Ryou for dinner tomorrow night – we do it every month so we can stay in touch. If you want to get to know us better, you should come."

"I don't know, Jounouchi. If this is your `thing', I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Kaiba, I'm giving you that missed opportunity," Jou replied with a small wink as he helped the slightly unsteady brunet up the stairs to his front door. "If you don't take it this time, I won't offer it again." Smiling, he continued, "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know where we're going. And don't worry about your driver – I could use the walk." He waited while Seto unlocked the door and stepped into the foyer. "You ok, or do you need me to help you?"

"I'm not a child that needs a nursemaid!" he snapped as he turned around to face the blond, a small grin settling on his face as he eyed the startled expression on the other man's face. "But, thanks."

* * *

When Jounouchi arrived at work the next morning, he found a large basket from the gourmet patisserie up the street sitting on his desk, along with a large chai latté. He'd gleaned from his two technicians, Ryo and Asami, that the package had been delivered ten minutes before he'd arrived. Removing the wrapping, he found a card nestled among the Danishes, cookies and muffins, and as he took it, he offered the goodies to the two men. Once the pair had helped themselves and left his office, Jou sat down in his chair and opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of heavy card stock upon which had been written, _`Thank you for everything last night. Regards, S.'_

A smile settled on Jou's face as he reached for a pastry, and as he settled back to enjoy his treat, he reread the note. Suddenly, his brow furrowed in contemplation, and he reached for his wallet, pulling out a sheet of white bond paper that had been lovingly folded and tucked away for safekeeping. As he smoothed it out, he saw that the handwriting was the same on both, and he felt a little thrill of happiness wash over him.

He had been carrying around that sheet of paper since his graduation from university. Jou had found it tucked in the folder with his valedictory speech that he'd set on the speaker's podium before the ceremony, and when he'd seen it as he'd taken the microphone, all of the nervousness and uncertainty he had been feeling had vanished. He hadn't known who had put it there, but the message was simple: _`Jounouchi, I knew you had it in you. I'm proud of you.'_ And afterwards, the message had been put into safekeeping in his billfold, so that whenever he had needed a pick-me-up, he could read it. 

"Jesus, I never would have guessed," Jou breathed as he leaned back in his chair and picked up his drink. His smile widened and his heart soared to monumental heights at his discovery, his euphoria lasting well into the late afternoon.

Meanwhile, across town and unbeknownst to him, two dark spirits cried out as a ripple of white-hot pain lanced through their bodies.

* * *

That night, the five friends sat waiting in the dining room of Umi, the sushi bar that Otogi had chosen. Four sets of eyes would occasionally flick from Jounouchi to the empty spot beside him. The blond had been extremely tight-lipped about whom the sixth guest was, but had assured everyone that his guest would _definitely_ be there. After another couple of minutes had passed, Otogi grumbled, "Well shit, if he's not here in five minutes, I'm ordering without him. I'm starving!"

"Just shut up, Otogi," Jou snapped back. "It's not even six-thirty yet, so don't get your panties all in a twist!" As if on cue, the blond saw Seto enter the dining room, and he waved him over. "See? He's here."

There was a surprised gasp from the group, and as the brunet made his way to their table, Otogi hissed at Jou, " _Kaiba_? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Amber eyes narrowed slightly. "Will you shut the fuck up?" Jou hissed back. "So help me, Otogi, if you say or do anything to be an asshole, I'll kick your ass as soon as we get outside!" His scowl transformed into a brilliant smile when Seto joined him, and he said cheerfully, "Glad you could make it!"

The blue-eyed brunet gave him a small smile in return, still feeling extremely uncomfortable about being there. He nodded around the table in greeting to Ryou, who was on Jounouchi's right, Honda, Otogi, and Yugi, who was beaming at him from his left.

_What in the hell is he doing here?_ Bakura shrieked, causing Ryou to bring his hands up to his head. _You'd better find out, my little light, or I'm going to find out for us…understand?_ At this, the white-haired man blanched.

"It's good to see you again, Kaiba!" Yugi chirped, practically bursting with excitement as he felt Yami's delight. "How've you been – Ryou? Are you alright?" A worried frown creased his brow as he saw his friend sitting with his head cradled in his hands, pale and sweating.

"Hm? Oh yes, I'm fine," the soft-spoken man replied. "I've just…had a bit too much sake, I'm afraid." He chuckled ruefully and added, "I just don't seem to have the head for it."

Yugi stared at him for a few moments more, and then a smile morphed across his soft features. "Well, we'd better get some food into us then, ne? Wouldn't want you passing out on us or something." He beckoned over the waitress, and between him and Otogi, they ordered a large assortment of dishes.

While they waited, Jou smiled at the brunet sitting beside him. "Thank you," he said, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

"You're welcome," Seto replied, a pleased expression on his face. "I wasn't entirely sure what you would prefer, so I hope the assortment I chose was satisfactory."

"Yeah, it was great. And thanks, too, for the encouragement." When he received a very confused look in reply, Jou elaborated. "I finally figured out that it was you that left the note for me in my speech. Before today, I'd never really seen your handwriting." A small tinge of red crept into his cheeks. "Bet you think I'm pretty lame to have kept it for all this time."

"You kept my note? Really?" He gave the blond a genuine smile when the other nodded and pulled out the slip of paper to show him. "I'm touched."

On either side of them, Yami felt a wave of warmth wash over him while Bakura growled in agony. _Fuck! This has got to end!_ the white-haired spirit snarled, forcibly taking over his host. Ignoring Ryou's entreating pleas to leave things alone, Bakura contemplated his next move. The former high priest was cagey; he'd have to be careful not to tip his hand. He plotted silently until the meal was served, and then he sprang into action. "So, Kaiba," he began innocently. "What've you been up to since we last saw you? Been doing anything…or _anyone_ …interesting?"

Seto bristled slightly at the question, and Jou good-naturedly elbowed his friend in the side. " _Ryou_ , cut it out…" he jibed warningly.

"I'm sorry Jou," Bakura replied, doing his best to keep his Ryou-façade in place. "You know how it is when you get into the drink…you just _blurt out_ the most inappropriate things…" He draped an arm across the back of the blond's chair and lightly started to caress his shoulders. "No hard feelings, ne, Kaiba?"

Sapphire eyes narrowed slightly as they watched the nimble fingers skate lightly across the back of the blond's neck and tickle down his spine, and his lips turned down into a small scowl when he heard Jou giggle softly.

"Cut it out; that tickles!" Jou murmured as he caught the roving arm and tossed it back at the white-haired man. "And get a fucking grip!"

Bakura glowered slightly when he was denied, his rage increasing exponentially when he met Seto's gaze and saw the smug, imperious smirk on the other's face as he felt a faint ripple of amusement from Ryou. He fell silent for a while and turned his attention to his dinner, listening to Honda, Otogi, Jounouchi and Yugi trade stories about high school. "Hey Yugi, Jounouchi," he finally piped up. "I've got a good one! Remember that summer that Kaiba tried to kill the two of you? God, it's got to be hard to trust someone after they pull that on you, ne? I mean, despite our best intentions, we never really _can_ change who we are…" A satisfied gleam entered his eye when he heard the low growl from the brunet and saw him move to stand up.

Jounouchi felt Seto move, and reflexively put a hand against his arm to stay him. "You're starting to piss me off, Ryou…" He narrowed his eyes and glared coldly at the fair-haired man. "Or should I say Bakura?" When he saw the look of surprise on the spirit's face, he continued, "I don't know what you're trying to prove, but cut it out. If you're going to be that fucking rude, then I'm out of here, too!" There were murmurs of agreement from Yugi and Honda, and a half-hearted rumble from Otogi.

Again, Seto couldn't help the arrogant smirk that formed when the blond jumped to _his_ defence, and not his friend's. And he certainly wasn't complaining about the warm hand resting against his arm.

"Fuck, whatever," Bakura sneered. "I was just fooling around, trying to make him feel like a part of the group and all…it's not _my_ fault the priest can't take a joke." With that, he retreated to his soul room, having tested the waters and now having a better idea of how to proceed.

When the meal had ended, the friends said their respective farewells and headed off for their homes, leaving Seto and Jou standing alone on the sidewalk. "I'm assuming your car is still in the shop?" the brunet asked after a moment.

"Yeah. It never used to bother me, but now, it really sucks not having wheels, you know?"

"I could give you a ride if you wanted."

The blond flashed him a brilliant grin. "Really? That would be great, thanks!" Together, they walked to the parked Maserati, and Jou settled himself into the passenger seat. As they drove, he watched the way Seto's feet moved as he shifted, and he smiled to himself. It really _was_ like dancing. Far too soon for the blond's liking, he found that they had pulled up outside his townhouse, and for a moment he sat there quietly, still in the passenger seat, with his hands folded in his lap. There was a long, awkward silence, and then Jou finally sighed and said, "Well, I'm glad you came out with us tonight, Kaiba. It was fun – even if   
Bakura was being a dick. Guess I'll see you around." 

"Wait! Do you like movies?" the brunet blurted out suddenly, making a pained face as a trace of colour crept across his cheeks.

The blond paused, his hand resting on the door handle, a very surprised expression on his face. Slowly, a grin broke out across his features, and he replied, "Yeah…why?"

"Oh, uh…I was wondering if you might want to come by one night and watch movies with me." 

"Oh?" Jou's grin widened.

Seto looked up and saw the strange look the other man was giving him. "I mean, you and the others – Yugi, Honda, Otogi…" he added hurriedly.

"Oh." The blond felt a slight twinge of disappointment, and trying to keep his voice upbeat, he said, "I'll give them a call, and see if we can't set something up." Muffling his sigh, he opened the door and waved good bye to the brunet. "See you later, Kaiba." As he entered his building, he couldn't help but feel that the whole prospect was somewhat bittersweet. He was going to be able to hang out with the brunet again, which he was finding he really enjoyed, but he had been hoping to spend some time with him by himself.


	3. Chapter Three

Over the next few of weeks, a friendship was forged between Seto and the other members of the group, but it was nothing compared to the relationship he shared with the blond. Every night, the two of them would meet for coffee or talk on the telephone for a while. Oftentimes, Yugi or Honda would join them at the café, and they'd sit there until the wee hours of the morning talking about every subject imaginable. And, a couple of times a week, they would get together with whoever was available and watch movies at Seto's, or go out to a show. But, whether talking on the phone or face-to-face, when it came time for them to part ways, there was always that long, awkward silence. It always felt like there was more that needed to be said, but neither one could find the words.

Seto himself was starting to feel better. After enduring considerable wheedling and pleading from Jounouchi, he had finally relented and had agreed to start taking his medications again. He had thought about merely pretending to, but after the blond had made him `pinkie swear' to it, he knew that he couldn't, in good conscience, lie to him. Like before, his head often felt a little clouded, but he definitely noticed a change in his moods. Whether that was from the pills or from the fact that he was hanging around with Jounouchi and company, he wasn't entirely certain; however, he suspected it was the latter. Regardless, he was content, and happier than he'd been in a long time. He smiled softly to himself as he thought about everything that had happened recently, only to be pulled from his musings by a light, if somewhat urgent, tug on his sleeve. Turning slightly, he saw Yugi beaming up at him.

"Come on, Kaiba…You promised you'd win me a giant plushie."

"Aren't you getting a little old for toys?" he asked sternly, the slight twinkle in his eyes belying his tone. "Besides, _you're_ the `King of Games', not me…"

"Yeah, but I can't shoot!"

"Aww, quit giving Yug' a hard time," Jou teased, nudging the brunet playfully in the side with his elbow. "It's not his fault half his students think he's just some high school kid." He winked at his small friend, and dragged the both of them off to the midway. "Besides, aren't you the one who's supposed to be hot shit at everything?"

The brunet smirked. "Well, when you put it that way, how could I possibly refuse?" he quipped smartly.

They met up with Honda, Otogi and Ryou in front of one of the booths. Otogi was currently trying to shoot out a little, red star with a horribly inaccurate BB gun, and was failing miserably, much to the amusement of the other two men. "I thought you said you'd had one of these things as a kid, Wild Bill," Honda taunted, earning a petulant, "Fuck you, Honda," from the green-eyed man.

"I think I can do it," Seto proclaimed as he stepped up beside Honda and paid the operator to play.

"Your funeral," the raven-haired man replied, scowling as he dropped the rifle back onto the mat. "The sighting's all screwed up on these things."

"Hn," the blue-eyed brunet replied as he fired a small burst of pellets into the centre of the star. "You just have to know how to compensate." He turned slightly to grin lewdly at his business associate. "You should know all about `compensating', what with that monstrosity of an SUV you drive."

As the others giggled, Otogi irritably twirled an ebony lock around his finger and said tartly, "Oh yeah? Well, screw you, Kaiba; what about you and those flashy sports cars?"

Seto's grin widened as he continued to shoot at his target. "Hm…sleek, fast, powerful, good-looking…I'd call that `advertising'."

Again, the others burst out laughing, the affronted moue on Otogi's face only intensifying when the operator came over and declared the brunet a winner. Yugi cheered jubilantly, and immediately selected a very large red, blue and yellow gecko.

"God Yug', you going to be able to carry that?" Jou asked with a grin as he eyed up the three-foot tall plushie.

"No…but _you_ are!" the smaller man said with a giggle as he shoved the oversized creature into the blond's arms. "Thanks, Jou!" he chirped as he moved back to the railing to watch Otogi, who was trying again – this time, with Seto's rifle.

Jou stared in disbelief, first at the obscenely bright bundle of fun-fur in his arms, and then at his friend. Finally, he sniggered to himself and shook his head as he draped the lizard over his shoulder and held onto it by its tail.

Seto watched him in amusement for a moment, and then cleared his throat. When he found himself looking into the warm, amber eyes, he felt an uncharacteristic wave of uncertainty wash over him, but before he could stop himself, he said, "Can I talk to you for a second…alone?" He saw the blond's brow furrow briefly in confusion, and in an attempt to lighten the mood, he flicked his gaze to the plushie. "Well, I suppose _he_ can come, too."

Smiling softly, Jou led the pair of them about twenty feet away from the rest of the group, and then turned to the brunet. "Ok, what's up?"

Seto paused in thought for a moment, and then said, "You know that the Tanabata festival concludes on Saturday night. They've got all the `traditional' things happening down at the waterfront in the evening for the `official' holiday. I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go to it with me." He felt his cheeks heat slightly, and suddenly he found himself rambling uncontrollably. "I know it's silly and childish, but I used to take Mokuba all the time. He seemed to enjoy it, and the music is not too terribly bad, and –" He stopped abruptly when he heard the blond chuckling under his breath, and he silently wondered if he'd made a complete ass of himself, or worse, screwed things up completely. "It's ok if you don't want to," he added quietly.

"Kaiba…Seto, no, it's not that," Jou replied gently, his voice taking on a slightly husky edge. "I just don't think I've ever seen you like this, and I kind of like it." He felt an excited flutter ripple through his stomach at the invitation, and he gave the brunet a brilliant grin. "I'd _love_ to go with you on Saturday, but only if it's just _you_. No Yugi, no Honda, and certainly not our friend here," he teased, gesturing with his head to the stuffed toy. "No one else."

"Really? You would _want_ to spend the time with just me?" Seto asked as he took a step closer to the blond, his face lighting up in a pleased smile. When he saw Jou nod, his smile widened and he carefully took the shorter man's hand in his, a wave of happiness washing over him when the blond didn't pull away; rather, he tightened his grasp. 

Back at the game, both Yugi and Ryou turned simultaneously to regard Seto and Jou. Their eyes immediately landed on the conjoined hands, and even though both gasped, each had an entirely different reason.

The white-haired man blanched as he heard Bakura erupt into an irate tirade in his head, and he tried his hardest to keep his face impassive as he tried to calm the raging spirit.

Bakura screamed in blind fury even as he dropped to one knee from the pain radiating through his form. _That fucking priest and his cur!_ he snarled. _I thought for certain he'd remain impassive, but no! He has to go and fall for the blond twit, and Jounouchi – he's just eating it all up! Damn it! I was hoping I wouldn't have to get involved in all that sickening, romantic bullshit! But now…_ Another infuriated roar reverberated through Ryou's mind. _It looks like now I've got something to worry about!_ Rending control from his host, he growled out a very terse, "Something's come up," to Yugi, and took off to find Ryou's car. He needed to see Marik immediately. And start plotting.

Yugi barely noticed his friend's departure, and afforded him the barest of waves as he chattered animatedly with his other half.

Yami was practically purring in delight as he felt a blanket of warmth envelop him in soothing comfort. _It's getting stronger, Aibou! The closer Kaiba and Jounouchi get, the more intense it feels!_

 _That's great, Yami!_ Yugi replied happily through their mind-link, turning around and smiling sympathetically when he heard Otogi's frustrated cursing. _So, what should we do now?_

 _Nothing, Aibou. They're doing well enough on their own. I'm so pleased that the two of them are finally acknowledging what's in their hearts._ Yami smiled at the image of his two friends holding hands, and then, quite suddenly, he frowned. _I do think we should keep an eye on Marik and Bakura, though. I keep getting this bad feeling, and when you get right down to it, I just don't trust them._

* * *

On Saturday night, both Seto and Jounouchi were on cloud nine as they walked around the park hand in hand. Eventually, the blond dragged them to the special bamboo tree in the park so that they could write their wishes. The brunet rolled his eyes and staunchly maintained that the entire exercise was stupid and pointless, since there was no such thing as wishes. Nevertheless, he looked just as excited as the other man as he quickly wrote his on the slip of paper and hung it on the tree.

"So, what'd you wish for?" Jou asked him as he pressed his body as close to the other man's as possible while still permitting them to walk.

"I can't tell you that. If I do, it won't come true," Seto replied with a teasing wink.

"I thought you didn't believe in wishes," the blond chided. "If that's true, then you can tell me."

The brunet smirked. "I _don't_ believe in wishes. But, science hasn't explained everything yet. What if I'm wrong?"

The fair-haired man pouted for a moment, and then asked, "Was it about me?"

His smirk widening, Seto rolled his eyes and replied, "As a matter of fact, it was. I wished that you'd stop pestering me about my wish. Alas, it doesn't seem to have come true."

"You're such an ass," Jou groused good-naturedly as he gave the brunet a playful shove. "And thanks again for inviting me tonight. This is fun." He leaned up to press a small kiss to Seto's cheek, a tingle of pleasure coursing through him when the brunet seemed to anticipate and moved his head at the last moment, bringing their lips together instead.

Not breaking the embrace, Seto turned more toward Jounouchi, letting his hands snake around the blond's waist as he tipped his head slightly to deepen the kiss. He was just starting to feel the other man respond to his touch when suddenly Jou turned away from him, having heard his name being called. The brunet narrowed his eyes slightly, a low, irritated growl rumbling in his throat as he, too, turned to the voice and glowered at Marik and Bakura. "How lucky we are to run into the two of you," he said icily.

Marik, who was currently holding his stomach in obvious discomfort, replied by giving him the finger. "Up yours, Kaiba. It's a fucking free country."

"Now, now, no need for snarkiness," Bakura cooed as he placed a chaste kiss on the platinum blond's forehead. Turning to Jounouchi, he asked conversationally, "So, what are you two crazy kids up to?"

"Well, we were just heading over to the concession area to get a snack," Jou told him, frowning in concern when he heard a soft, agonized groan from Marik. "Are you alright?"

"Who, him?" Bakura asked, jerking his thumb at his companion. "Oh, fuck yeah. He's just got a bit of a stomach ache, that's all. We were daring each other to eat various things, and I guess he just couldn't handle the combination of wasabi, coffee grounds and grape juice."

The blond made a face while Seto let out a derisive snort. "Do the two of you even _have_ three active brain cells between you?" the brunet asked.

The white-haired spirit grinned darkly as he surreptitiously restrained Marik from throwing himself viciously at Seto. "Well, I suppose we all can't be as worldly as you, Priest. We take our amusement where we can find it." Bakura let his gaze rove slowly over the other two men, and then he said, "But, if the two of you are going to get some refreshments, perhaps Marik and I will join you. After all, we _are_ going to the same place, ne?" Before either Jou or Seto could protest, he had glommed onto the blond's arm and had started dragging him off, leaving the brunet and Marik to catch up.

Clenching his hands into fists, Seto pressed his lips into a thin line, obviously displeased by the recent turn of events. He glared at Marik, who had very unwisely decided to sidle up to him, and after loosing a warning growl, the pale Egyptian had backed off somewhat, a benign smile on his lips that Seto didn't believe for a minute. By the time they reached the various food kiosks, Seto was fast approaching irritated, and when Bakura told Seto and Marik to find a table while he and Jou purchased drinks and the like, the brunet was beyond pissed off. However, he managed to clench his jaw and count to ten, biting back the scathing remarks that were on the tip of his tongue – only because these were, for _whatever_ reason, Jounouchi's friends. 

After what had felt like an eternity of sitting in idle silence with the tomb-keeper, Bakura and the blond joined them, the white-haired spirit dropping into the seat beside Seto, leaving Jounouchi with no other place than kitty-corner to the brunet, beside Marik. "Here you go, Sweetums," Bakura purred as he handed a very large cup of blue raspberry slush across to Marik. "This should help settle your tummy some, I'd imagine." He picked up his own cup of lemonade and as he sipped it, he remarked, "This would be infinitely better with a shot or six of vodka, but it's not bad as is."

Jounouchi exhaled heavily and looked apologetically at the brunet, wordlessly handing him a bottle of water, and sipping silently at his own.

"Did you buy one of those giant pretzels, you bitch?" Marik asked after a moment, sniffing the air and glaring across the table at Bakura, who was grinning like a madman. "You know those are my favourite. Give me some."

"Tut-tut," the white haired spirit chided. "You're not feeling well. Perhaps later, I'll treat you…if you properly motivate me." As if to add insult to injury, he tore off a large piece and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth, looking almost comical as he tried to properly chew the bite.

"I've got your fucking motivation right _here_!" the platinum-haired spirit growled as he tried, rather unsuccessfully, to dive for the treat, and wound up knocking the entire contents of his drink rather unceremoniously into Jounouchi's lap.

" _Fuck_!" Jou exclaimed with a startled yelp as he jumped up, the action causing the cold liquid to run in wild, blue rivulets down his legs. "Marik, you asshole!"

Seto tried to round the table to help Jou, but found his way blocked by the tomb-keeper. He was not impressed to find that Bakura had immediately made his way to the blond's side and was currently in the process of dabbing daintily at Jou's groin with a handful of paper napkins.

Flushing an intense shade of red, the blond irritably swatted Bakura's hands away, grabbing his bottled water and trying unsuccessfully to scrub off the syrup that was rapidly congealing on his shins. After a moment, he threw down both bottle and napkins and looked contritely at the brunet. "Seto, I'm so sorry, but I think I need to go home. I'm cold, wet and sticky, and very uncomfortable."

He nodded at Jou in understanding, scowling furiously at Marik, who was now sitting cross-legged on top of the table, a smug grin on his face as he happily ate the remnants of Bakura's pretzel. "If you want to come back, I can wait while you shower and change," the brunet offered.

"No; it's getting late, so I think I'll just stay in, if you don't mind."

Again, Seto nodded, trying to tamp down the overwhelming disappointment he felt over their disastrous `first date', and inwardly seething at the idiocy that was Marik and Bakura. Taking Jou's hand in his, he led him toward the parking area without so much as a good-bye, or even a backward glance, at the other two men.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Bakura hopped up on the table beside his partner in crime. "Did you feel it ease up a little when Blondie told the priest that he didn't want to play anymore?"

Marik nodded silently and passed over half of the remaining pretzel to his friend. "Yeah. That went well, I think. Good choice on the blue…I'd thought you were going to do something boring like Coke."

"Oh please!" Bakura answered with a snort. "I do have _some_ imagination, you know. Besides, the slush is practically _all_ ice." He finished off his snack, and as he wiped his hands carelessly against his thigh, he mused, "Although, I do think we're going to have to step things up a notch. Petty annoyances aren't going to cut it."

The blond Egyptian arched an eyebrow. "It sounds like you've got an idea. What do you have in mind?"

Bakura's lips curved up in a cruel smirk. "The priest is nothing, if not a slave to his sense of order and routine. I have this wonderful stuff at home called ipecac. Tell me…" He turned to look at the man beside him, his smirk widening. "Can you bake?"

* * *

When Jou came into work on Monday morning, a soft smile settled on his face when he saw that a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a bottle of grape juice had been left on his desk. With the exception of that first week, the brunet had started sending small gift packages to him every Monday morning, claiming that they were to make sure he started off his week on a high note. Settling into his chair, he grabbed a cookie and took a large sip of the juice, frowning at the slightly off taste of the liquid. Chalking it up to it being `gourmet', he tore open the small note card and read: _`Sorry about Saturday. I'll make it up to you – hope this is a start! -S.'_ Smiling happily, he munched on his treats, with not a care in the world.

Half an hour later, _everything_ was wrong. He was in the small employee bathroom, pale, sweating, trembling, and unable to keep from offering up the contents of his stomach to the toilet. As he sank back onto the floor, leaning weakly against the wall and sipping a glass of water, he wondered if maybe he wasn't coming down with something. He'd been feeling fine until… He gasped as the remainder of the colour drained from his face. It had to be a mistake – Seto wouldn't deliberately go out of his way to make him sick. _Someone_ had to have tampered with it. Disgusted by the thought, he irritably crushed the paper cup he held in his hand. The brunet would be able to shed some light on the situation.

Hesitantly, he got to his feet and patted his cheeks with some cool water. After drying off, he set his face in a scowl and stormed back to his office, immediately picking up the phone and dialling the private number Seto had provided him with. When he heard the brunet answer, he swallowed nervously, and said, "Hey. I've got a question for you…Those cookies you sent this morning, where did they come from?"

Seto furrowed his brow in curiosity as he stared at the phone. "I made them. I thought you might like that. Why?"

"Oh." The blond felt numb and sat down in his chair. "Have you uh, ever _baked_ before?"

"A few times. Why?"

"Did you use milk? Or eggs?"

"Of course I did!" Seto replied, starting to get irritated by Jounouchi's cryptic line of questioning. 

"And, who'd you get to bring them here? Was it you?"

"No, Jounouchi. It was one of my couriers. Is there some point you're trying to make?" he snapped.

The blond winced. He could tell from the other's tone that the brunet was doing a slow burn. "Well…" He chewed nervously on his lip for a moment, and then said, "Seto, I don't know what happened, but _something_ in those cookies made me sick. I've been puking non-stop since I ate them."

" _I_ ate some of them, and I'm feeling fine." The voice was cold. "Are you suggesting I've poisoned you?"

"N-no," Jou stammered. "But I don't know what else to tell you. I'm sorry…" He spoke quietly to hide the slight tremor in his voice. "I didn't mean to make you mad; I'll let you go."

"Jounouchi, wait." Seto's tone softened slightly. "I'll look into what happened. Maybe you just had a bad reaction to the raspberry sauce – it did have a bit of liqueur in it."

"Seto, I didn't – wait… _raspberry_?"

The brunet sighed and rolled his eyes in frustration. " _Yes_. You told me you really liked those lemon shortbread cookies with the raspberry filling, so that's what I made. And green tea."

"No fucking way!"

"Is that not what you got?"

"No! I got chocolate chip and grape juice." There was silence from the other end of the line. "Seto?"

"Put it aside for me. I'll send someone to pick it up and we'll have it analysed. Are you sure you feel alright?"

"I'm fine. I think whatever it was is out of my system now. I promise I'll take it easy for the rest of the day, and if it comes back, I swear, I'll go to the emergency room and get checked out."

"I'll hold you to that," Seto replied. "I'm in meetings almost all day; if you're feeling up to it, can you meet me for dinner? I'd like to make up for this horrible Monday."

"I'd like that," Jou said, sagging in relief against his chair when he realized the brunet _wasn't_ angry with him any more.

"Wonderful. Let's say 6:00 at La Dolce Vita?"

"I'll see you there," the blond replied before saying good bye and hanging up.

Back in his office, his body trembling slightly with barely suppressed fury, Seto contemplated what Jounouchi had told him. Who would _dare_ do such a thing?

* * *

By lunchtime, Jounouchi was feeling better – as if nothing untoward had happened to him at all. Back in high spirits, he hit the small deli that was down the street from where he worked, and was surprised to find Yugi and Ryou there, enjoying lunch. After placing his order, he joined his friends, excitedly telling them about his plans for the evening while he waited for his lunch to be packaged up.

"Gee, that's a pretty swanky place. Kaiba's definitely got great taste; I'm impressed!" Yugi said, giving the blond a pleased grin.

"Definitely!" Ryou agreed. "I was going to invite you over tonight for dinner and cards with Yugi and me, but it seems like you've got a much better offer on the table!" the pale-haired man joked. "I hear their desserts are absolutely exquisite!"

"Well, I've never been. I've always wanted to go, but never had a reason to, you know?" He smiled at the cashier when she informed him his order was ready, and waving to his two friends, he retrieved the bag and headed back to work.

"I'm so glad things are working out between Seto and Jounouchi," Yugi beamed. "They seem so good together, ne?"

"Yes, they certainly do! I always wondered if it would ever happen." A strange expression washed over the white-haired man's face, and when he caught his spike-haired friend's questioning gaze, he murmured, "Oh, it's nothing. I simply forgot that I had another errand to run this afternoon. I'm going to have to take a rain  
cheque on visiting Mutou-san with you, but I _will_ still see you tonight, right?"

"Definitely! It's been so long since we've played cards together, I'm looking forward to it! And I'll pass your regrets on to Grandpa." Yugi slid out of the booth and bid farewell to his friend, the cheerful grin never leaving his face. 

Once he was out of sight, a wicked smirk settled on the soft-spoken man's lips. Slipping out onto the street, he headed for the nearest payphone and immediately dialled a number.

_Bakura, please! Don't do this!_

"Shut up, Ryou," the spirit hissed, his mood lifting when he heard Marik answer the phone. "It's me. They're supposed to be having a romantic dinner tonight at 6:00. My other half has made plans with Yugi and the Pharaoh, so you're going to have to take it. Here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

Just before 5:00, Jou ran to grab the telephone. He had been in the process of getting dressed for the evening, and had to scramble to grab it on the fourth ring. "'Lo?"

"Jounouchi-san?"

"Yes…" The blond frowned. He didn't recognize the female voice on the other end.

"This is Kenjiro Ayumi, Kaiba-sama's executive assistant. I understand you and he were to be meeting for dinner tonight. However, an unexpected appointment has come up, and unfortunately, he will not be able to make it. Kaiba-sama deeply regrets the last-minute cancellation, and will undoubtedly reschedule with you at a future time."

"Oh, I see. Well, thank you, I guess." Jou hung up the telephone, the shocked disbelief at the call quickly turning to indignant anger as he thought about the conversation. `Why the hell wouldn't he have called me himself?' he wondered. `And what the fuck's that shit about `rescheduling'? Like he has to _pencil me in_?' Hurt and frustration taking over, he stormed to his room to change into his sleep pants and a t-shirt, his cursing growing louder and more frequent as his ire escalated. Grabbing a frozen dinner from his freezer and slamming it down on the counter, he turned on the oven and scowled. 

Meanwhile, in his own apartment, Marik smirked darkly as he hung up the phone. Checking the clock, he grabbed his keys and ran out the door. He couldn't _wait_ to see the expression on Kaiba's face.

Seto arrived shortly before 6:00. He ordered a half-litre of Chablis and settled into his chair to await the other's arrival. At 6:30, he'd still not seen the blond, and he frowned slightly. He knew Jounouchi had a habit of being chronically late, but this was bordering on excessive, even for him. When 7:00 came and went with still no sign of the other man, the brunet was fuming. Throwing down enough money to cover the cost of the wine he'd ordered, he went outside, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket and calling the blond's home. As soon as he heard Jounouchi answer, he went off. "Where the hell are you? Did you forget we were getting together tonight?"

"Yeah, that's fucking funny. _You're_ the one who cancelled on _me_ , so take your pissy attitude and shove it up your ass. Next time, pencil me in on your fucking agenda so we don't have to `reschedule'!"

"What on earth are you talking about? I've been sitting here like an idiot for over an hour waiting for you!"

"Oh don't hand me that shit! I got a call from your secretary telling me that you had an unexpected meeting come up, and you had to cancel. God, I understand that shit comes up, but I figured you'd have had the fucking courtesy to call me yourself! Thanks for treating me like some random business client!"

"Jounouchi, I'm telling you, I didn't cancel! And I didn't tell Keiko to call you, either; save for the two of us, no one else knew we were getting together!"

"Whatever, Seto. There seems to be a lot of unexplained shit going on with you today, ne? One time, I can forgive, but I can't help but feel like you're playing with me."

"Look…I told you that I was through playing games. Will you at least come and talk to me, see me face-to-face? If you can look me in the eye and still think I'm playing you –"

"No. I'm way too pissed off at you right now. But, maybe tomorrow, I'll have cooled down enough. If I have, I'll be at the fountain in the park at 12:30. You can buy me lunch."

"I am sorry for the misunderstandings. Believe me, I _will_ get to the bottom of this. So, tomorrow at noon at the fountain. I'll be there. Good night, Jounouchi." With a heavy sigh, he ended the call and headed for his car. 

A low chuckle rumbled from the shadows of the nearby alley. As Marik stepped out of the darkness and headed off in the opposite direction, he murmured quietly, "We'll be there, too."

* * *

The next morning, Seto made sure to clear his calendar as soon as he got in. After everything that had been happening over the past few days, he wanted desperately to talk to Jounouchi, and he'd be damned if anything was going to keep him from his appointment at noon. Just after 12:00, he headed for the park, opting to walk the two blocks from the KaibaCorp building so he could have some time to think. When he reached the park, he smiled softly to himself when he saw the familiar blond head. Given Jounouchi's forgiving personality, he had been fairly certain that the other man would show up, but confirming it with his own eyes sent a wave of relief washing through his body. Suddenly, he realized that the blond was not alone. Beside him, and sitting much closer to Jou than Seto found he cared for, was a man with a long mane of white hair. `Ryou?' he wondered to himself, his eyes first widening in surprise and then narrowing hatefully when the pale-haired man snaked an arm around Jounouchi's shoulders. "No, it's Bakura!" he growled. As he felt a pang of jealousy in his heart, he drew nearer to the pair, finally stopping about two metres behind them when he overheard their conversation.

"…tell me you're actually meeting him today?" Bakura purred as he traced a finger around the blond's ear. "Are you going to tell him about…us?"

Seto's blood ran cold at the tomb-robber's words, and a shiver ran through him when Jounouchi didn't blatantly deny it, but responded with a brusque, "Fuck off, Bakura," as he pushed the snowy-haired man away from him.

"Mmm, that's right baby; you know I like it rough. Only _you_ can tame me."

"Cut it out. You're starting to piss me off."

The white-haired man threw back his head and laughed delightedly at this. "Maybe I'm doing it on purpose. Maybe I want you all riled up for later. Come on; loosen up a little. We've probably got a few minutes at least before Kaiba gets here." Without another word, Bakura grabbed the blond by the collar and jerked him towards him, kissing him deeply. Capitalizing on Jounouchi's shocked paralysis, he leaned further into the embrace, barely able to suppress his chuckle when he saw the aghast expression on the brunet's face out of the corner of his eye. He did manage a dark laugh when the blond finally recovered and shoved him away again, and giving Jou a decidedly shark-like grin, he purred, "I'm sorry, Love…I forgot you were shy about these sorts of things in public. We could go somewhere more private, if you want to." At this, he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"For fuck's sake, Bakura, no!" Jounouchi growled as he got to his feet. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not going anywhere with you now…" The `or ever' died on his lips as he caught sight of the brunet standing behind him, and his eyes took on a `deer-caught-in-headlights' quality. "Seto?"

The blue-eyed man stared at him with an equally surprised look, not wanting to believe what he'd witnessed, and hoping that he'd simply misunderstood the blond's last statement. "What's going on?" he asked quietly, managing to keep the hurt out of his voice.

Before Jou could reply, Bakura spoke up. "I'd think it was pretty fucking obvious, Priest." To emphasize his point, he began to roughly massage the blond's groin through his slacks as he dragged him down into another fiery kiss.

Seto narrowed his eyes, feeling a jealous rage welling up inside of him. "Is that so?" His gaze shifted to Jou.

The blond tried desperately to escape, but with Bakura's tongue halfway down his throat, and the white-haired spirit holding him in an iron grip, he found himself unable to offer up an explanation. In frustration, he let out a desperate whimper as he continued to struggle in vain.

Seto growled irritably when his query went unanswered, and as he felt his heart break, he sneered coldly, "Since you can't be bothered to tear yourself away long enough to at least tell me yourself, let me save you the trouble." Turning away from the sight, he clenched his jaw and started back for his office.

When he felt the pain in his chest recede with the brunet's departure, Bakura broke the kiss, a pleased smirk on his lips. "You were wonderful, Darling," he purred at the blond.

Now able to speak, Jou called after the retreating form, "Seto, please, wait! You don't understand!" When the taller man ignored him, and soon was out of sight, he shouted angrily after him, "You stubborn ass! If you didn't fucking jump to conclusions all the time!" With a growl, he wrenched himself free from the white-haired man's slackened grasp. Directing all his pent-up anger at the spirit, he hissed, "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you or what you were trying to prove with that little stunt, but so help me God, if you've ruined this for me, I'll kill you _myself_ you crazy fuck!" With that, he hauled off and hit the spirit, mentally apologizing to Ryou for the inevitable bruise that would surface, and then took off after the brunet. One way or another, he had to talk to him.

As soon as he got to KaibaCorp, he was immediately met by two armed security guards and escorted from the building. It seemed that Seto, upon his return, had immediately thrown down a directive that the blond was not to be permitted inside, and no amount of swearing, idle threats, and temper tantrums on Jounouchi's part had had any sway on that edict. Dejected, but not deterred, the blond returned to work and dialled the brunet's private line. After leaving a pleading voice mail, he tried the `official' route by calling Seto's secretary. He was immediately informed that Kaiba-sama was preparing for a meeting and had requested that he not be disturbed, and to call back around 3:00. At 2:55, Jou called again, and this time, he was informed that Kaiba-sama had already left for the day, and would be out of the office for the next two weeks on business.

"God _damn_ it!" Jou shouted as he slammed down the receiver, earning a curious stare from Ryo. After a few moments, he stood up and said to his assistant, "Something's come up. I've got to go."

* * *

Seto glared defiantly at his flight bag as he tossed the last of his clothes inside and zipped it up. He hadn't really wanted to fly to New York to meet with the American executives who would be marketing the US release of KaibaCorp's latest game system – he had fully intended to send one of his junior executives to flesh out the details as the terms of the contract were fairly cut and dried. However, after the events of the afternoon, he vowed that he would immerse himself in work for the next few weeks and try to convince himself that he couldn't care less about what he had witnessed. Moreover, he was stubbornly determined to prove that he could easily jet away; that the blond had absolutely no effect on him whatsoever, and that he would be just fine without him. 

And then he checked his voice mail.

The forlorn alto sounded distraught, and as Jou had tried to stammer out a very disjointed, yet sincere, explanation for what had happened and a subsequent apology, Seto tried to ignore the intense ache he felt in his heart. He tried to wall himself off from it, to revert back to the solitude and isolation he had known, but he found that he couldn't. The blond had gotten to him, changed him, and made him crave his companionship. And that thought made him feel completely miserable. Forcing down his emotions, he grabbed his luggage and headed downstairs to where his car was waiting for him.


	4. Chapter Four

The limo pulled slowly down the drive, only to stop at the gate. At first, Seto assumed that they were waiting for a break in traffic, but when five minutes had passed and nothing had happened, he irritably pushed the intercom button. "Is there some kind of a problem?"

"Yes, I mean, no…I mean, it's nothing security can't handle, Sir."

Curious, the brunet rolled down the window and peered out, his eyebrows arching in surprise when he saw Jounouchi standing on the sidewalk, essentially blocking the driveway as he paced erratically back and forth. His security personnel were telling him to get moving, and Jou, quite correctly, informed them that while he was on the sidewalk, he was under no obligation to do what they said as he was not, technically, trespassing. Before Seto had time to think about what he was doing, he had climbed from the car and had moved to stand just inside the gate. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I'm trying to set things right; if I don't do it before you leave, I doubt I'll get another chance. So, I'm not leaving or moving until you at least hear me out." There was a note of desperation in the blond's voice that was reflected in the sad amber eyes.

The brunet stared impassively at him for several moments, his arms folded loosely across his chest, and then he sighed and waved off his guards. "So talk. I have a flight to catch," he said coolly.

"God, Seto," Jou said, the hurt in his eyes increasing when he moved toward the brunet, only to see the taller man take a step back and away from him. "I can only imagine what you're thinking, but I swear to God, it's not what it looked like! I wanted to explain to you right then and there, but Bakura's a lot stronger than he looks, and I couldn't get away. And then, when I finally did, you were already gone." The blond took a deep, shuddering breath and, closing his eyes, he ploughed on. "I like what we've got going between us, and I wouldn't throw that away for someone like _him_. I'll swear it on everything that I have that there's nothing going on between us. Hell, I'll swear it on my _life_ if you want me to. Just, please…" His voice dropped to a mere whisper as his eyes glistened with tears. "Don't shut me out again. I don't think I could bear it."

Seto swallowed harshly around the lump he felt in his throat as he looked at the piteous sight before him. Jounouchi was either the world's best liar, or the most sincere individual the brunet had ever encountered. His mind was telling him not to trust him, that people are inherently deceptive. However, his heart was telling him that that wasn't the case with the blond – Jou was one of the most honest people he knew, and that one look into that pleading, golden gaze should prove that there was no subterfuge involved. And, for the first time in as long as he could remember, Seto listened to his heart, as irrational and foolish as it seemed. He closed the distance between them, carefully brushing away the moisture from the blond lashes with the pad of his thumb, and then folding the shorter man into his arms. "I believe you," he murmured against his ear. "And I'm sorry for walking away."

Jounouchi sagged against the brunet as he loosed a sigh of relief that was half-laugh, half-sob. "Thank you," he breathed, finally lifting his head and fixing the taller man with a brilliant smile.

"Don't thank me," Seto replied as he cupped the blond's cheeks in his hands and lightly traced across them with his thumbs. "You gave me an explanation. You don't owe me any more than that." Slowly, he pressed a soft kiss to Jounouchi's lips, and then pulled away with a sigh. "Although, I really _do_ have a flight to catch; and it's too late now to put Hayata back on it. But I'll call you when I get to New York, and when I get back on the 27th, we'll talk. Come by, ok? Please?"

The blond exhaled heavily in disappointment, but nodded as he stepped away from the brunet. "Ok. Have a safe trip, ne?"

* * *

In the early evening of July 27th, Jounouchi was sprawled out across the loveseat at Honda's place. He had woken early that morning as excited as a young child on Christmas morning, and by 8:00, he had telephoned Honda to see if he could come over. He had long since completed the chores he'd needed to attend to, and had fallen into the irritating habit of clock watching. Seto wouldn't be landing until around 6:30 that night, and knowing that he still had ten and a half hours to go, the blond was quickly driving himself crazy as the minutes slowly ticked by. The stocky brunet had been more than gracious, and within half an hour, he'd found himself with a very hyperactive Jounouchi on his hands.

By 10:00, Honda had been ready to throttle the blond, and in a fit of desperation, he had called up Yugi to help him. The spike-haired man had arrived shortly thereafter with Otogi in tow, and the four of them had spent the rest of the day trying to keep Jou's mind on everything _but_ Kaiba. After all, his homecoming had been virtually all he'd spoken about since the brunet had left.

Around 5:00, Honda had eagerly volunteered to go pick up the pizza that they had ordered, more out of his desire for some peace and quiet than out of genuine benevolence. Although it had taken him about twenty minutes longer than normal to run his errand, he was much less cantankerous when he returned home.

"God, I feel like I'm back in high school," Otogi mused as he grabbed another slice and leaned lazily into the couch. "It's been a long time since we just sat around, did nothing, and ate all day."

"You complaining?" Honda asked as he stretched out in his armchair and propped his feet up on the ottoman.

"Hell no! I miss those days of little responsibility, lots of fun, and screw the consequences," he replied thickly around a mouthful of food. He took a sip of his Coke and continued, "Now it's all work, and paying bills, and making contacts. Speaking of which, KaibaCorp's hosting that charity auction for the Domino Business Association on the first…are you going stag, Jou, or are you going with Kaiba?"

The blond's cheeks heated slightly and he dropped his gaze. "I'm not one of the _elite_ , so I didn't get an invitation, and by the time I thought about getting a ticket, they were sold out. As for Seto, he hasn't mentioned anything about it."

Otogi winced when he received a hard smack to the back of the head from Yugi and heard the whispered, "Idiot!" Clearing his throat slightly, he pasted a wide smile on his face and said, "Oh, well, I'm sure he just hasn't gotten around to it yet. I mean, he _has_ been away for the past couple of weeks, and you know he _never_ goes stag, so…"

"Otogi, _shut up_ ," Yugi hissed at him through clenched teeth, a small sigh escaping him when he saw Jounouchi chew nervously on his bottom lip.

"It's ok, Yug'," the blond replied. "I'm sure Seto has his reasons." He forced a small laugh and said, "Maybe he knows I'm not into all that high-brow shit like he is. Yeah, if anything, he's doing me a favour." Despite the outward bravado, he was secretly disappointed that the brunet _hadn't_ asked him; perhaps he'd find some way to bring it up tonight. Trying to quell his nervousness, he sat up and glanced at the clock on the VCR. "Oh shit, it's after 6:00! I'd better get moving!" Hurriedly getting to his feet and jamming on his shoes, he bid farewell to his three friends, thanked Honda for his hospitality, and headed down the walk to his car.

As he drove to Seto's home, he kept thinking about what Otogi had said. There were two things that kept playing over and over in his mind. First, Seto _would_ be there, since it was his company hosting the event. Second, like the raven-haired man had said, the brunet did not attend social functions alone. If he wasn't going to take Jou, then who _was_ he taking? A wave of paranoia washed over him, and he suddenly felt like a gawky, teenage girl waiting to be asked to the prom. Swallowing harshly, he pushed those negative thoughts aside, and instead concentrated on seeing Seto. He arrived at the manor just before 6:30, and after being thoroughly checked out by security at the gate, he was permitted entry to the grounds. He parked his car out front and rang the bell, smiling and introducing himself when the butler answered the door. The stately gentleman showed the blond into the front parlour to wait, and after fetching him a cup of tea, he excused himself to finish off his regular duties before he left for the evening.

Jou knew that Seto should arrive home by 6:45; he lived on the edge of town, very close to the airport. When the grandfather clock in the room struck 7:00, he frowned slightly. Despite his own, chronic tardiness, it wasn't like the brunet to be late. Something must have detained him. He was distracted from his musings by his cell phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Blondie…You still over at _Seto's_ place?"

"Yeah," Jou replied warily.

"Oh, so his luscious ass _is_ home then?"

"What the fuck's it to you, Marik?" Jou snapped, immediately feeling his hackles rise. 

"Oh, calm down. I'm just asking a question. Is he there?"

"No, not yet."

" _Really_? That's strange. And here I thought that he'd hurry _straight_ home so he could get ready for tonight. But, if you're interested, I'm perfectly willing to share him with you." He purred licentiously into the handset. "I'd bet he'd enjoy making the two of us into a blond Oreo…"

"You're so full of shit, Marik. Seto'd never go for a psycho like you."

"Oh no? Well, he was more than willing to look past _that_ particular quirk of mine when he saw just how _talented_ I was. In fact, we first hooked up a couple weeks ago, after he'd witnessed some `unpleasantness' in the park. I was happy to help him forget _all_ about that."

"Sure," Jou replied with a grin, obviously unfazed. "You seriously expect me to believe that?"

"Oh, you need a little proof, do you?" Marik chuckled softly. "Alright…let's do a little exploring. Go up the central staircase, turn left, and open the second door on the left. That's his bedroom." His smirk widened when he heard the sound of Jounouchi walking through the house. Bakura had taken advantage of the brunet's extended absence from his home to do a little night time recon work. That, and plant a few carefully selected items, just in case.

Jounouchi gasped when he opened the door and saw that Marik hadn't been lying. "W-well, maybe you saw the blueprints for the place or something!"

"Oh Jounouchi," the pale-haired Egyptian said with mock-sympathy. "You are in _such_ deep denial. But fine…go over to the nightstand that's on the right side of the bed, if you're standing at the foot and looking at it. Open the top drawer, and in there, you'll find a tube of premium cherry lube. I forgot it when I was over. Is it still there?"

Jou reached out to grasp the handle on the drawer and hesitated, his hand trembling slightly. The very idea that Seto would turn to _Marik_ for comfort made him feel nauseous. It had to be a trick – the other man was just trying to get him riled up. Setting his jaw determinedly and having utmost faith in the brunet, he pulled open the drawer, only to loose a strangled cry as his eyes fell on the tube. "Oh God…"

"Good, it _is_ there!" the tomb-keeper replied brightly. "So, when are you leaving? I'll be there around 9:00, so you'd better disappear or I'll expect you to participate." With that, he hung up the phone, laughing maniacally at his prank, his amusement growing as he pictured the shocked look on the blond's face when he'd found the tube. 

Jou felt his heart rend in two as he picked it up, and he knew he couldn't stay and wait around for Seto any more. His first, and definitely more juvenile, thought was to thoroughly trash the room and simply leave. But, he wanted an explanation, despite how much it might hurt to hear it. And maybe, he would be able to forgive the other man for what had happened. Grabbing a piece of paper from the printer on his desk and a pen, he hastily scribbled a note:

_I don't want to believe what I heard, but Marik told me where to find this shit, and I can't deny what I see… I'm sorry for not waiting, but I've just got to go. See you around, maybe. –Jou_

A single, fat tear leaked from one eye and plopped onto the paper, smearing his name a bit. He hastily swiped at the other eye in a combination of anger and embarrassment, and then set his note in the centre of the bed with the lube on top of it and left the room. With as much decorum as he could muster, he walked quickly to the foyer and out the door to his car, having had to physically restrain himself to keep from running. As he drove down the deserted street, he passed the sleek, black limo travelling in the opposite direction, and with a frustrated cry, he floored the accelerator.

* * *

Seto stretched wearily as he dropped his luggage in the foyer and immediately sought out the blond. His brow furrowed in confusion when he saw the partially finished cup of tea sitting on the coffee table. Obviously, Jounouchi had been there… He heard a rustling sound behind him, and when he turned, he saw his butler, Kaza, slipping on his coat. "Do you know where Jounouchi went?"

The older gentleman raised a surprised eyebrow. "I left him in the parlour, Kaiba-sama… I – Oh dear… He must have left. His car is gone. I-I'm sorry, Kaiba-sama. I don't know why he would have left; he seemed rather pleased to be here when he arrived."

The brunet shook his head. "Don't trouble yourself, Kaza. I'll call him. You go home, have a good evening." He waited until the other man had left, and then he grabbed his flight bag and headed upstairs to his room. He flicked on the light and froze when he saw the paper and a tube sitting in the middle of his duvet. "What the hell?" he murmured as he approached the side of the bed. At first, he thought Jounouchi had left a gift, albeit a strange one, for him – until he read the note. Apoplectic with undirected fury, he crumpled the paper in his fist, and unceremoniously threw the tube of lube into the wastebasket on the other side of the room. Needing an outlet to channel his frustration, he grabbed his suitcase and began haphazardly dumping things out of the bag and slamming them back into drawers as he put them away, all the while muttering to himself. "This whole thing has been stupid and asinine from the start! No matter what I've done, it seems like I've been set up to fail; but that's what I get for letting myself think I could do this. I was an idiot to think that I could finally get close to someone like that, and even love –" Sapphire eyes widened in shock, and as the self-admitted words sank in, he was stopped dead in his tracks. His first instinct was to deny that he'd even thought it; but as soon as he contemplated doing it, the idea was immediately shot down. In his heart, he knew it was true – he'd fallen for the blond. As his anger ebbed, he could feel the dull, agonizing ache of loneliness creeping back into his soul without the other there.

His clothes all but forgotten, he grabbed the cordless phone from the base and dialled Jou's home number, cursing softly when he got the answering machine. He tried his cell, and was met with the same result. Knowing he was rapidly approaching `desperate', he tried Honda, Yugi and Otogi in turn. When he came up empty handed there, he idly wondered if any of them _ever_ answered their telephones. Finally, he tried Jou's numbers again, sighing sadly when there was still no answer. Deciding he'd give the blond a little time to either get home or cool down, he sat down at his desk and decided to read through some of his email. After sorting through the regular, routine interoffice correspondence, he checked his calendar, and saw that his secretary had put in a reminder for him to pick up his tuxedo for the charity ball. This time he cursed out loud, mentally berating himself for having forgotten about it. Rummaging through his attaché case, he picked up the invitation and, on a whim, decided to try Jounouchi one more time. He really wasn't that surprised when the call went unanswered, so instead, he grabbed his keys and slid behind the wheel of his car. He was going to drive down to the blond's townhouse and wait for him to come home and, if he happened to see Marik crossing the street en route, he made no promises about slowing down.

When he parked alongside the curb, he noticed an older, black Nissan Silvia sitting in the driveway. Unless he was on foot, Jounouchi was home. Climbing from the car, he made his way to the front door. The storm door was open and he could hear that the television was on, but when he rang the bell, there was no answer. Seto sighed heavily – the blond was ignoring him. Resting his hands on the frame of the screen door, he leaned forward slightly and called into the house, "Jounouchi? Jou? Please come and talk to me. I know you're mad, but I swear I didn't do anything." He waited a few moments, feeling beyond ridiculous to be standing there like some sort of stalker. Pressing his lips into a thin, frustrated line, he shook his head and exhaled heavily. "Look; I know that Bakura and Marik are up to something. I talked to Yami about it and he agrees with me." When the blond still refused to acknowledge him, he sighed in resignation. "Ok, Jou…this isn't the way I'd wanted to ask this, but under the circumstances, I seem to have little choice." He pulled the invitation from his pocket and deposited it through the mail slot. "I was hoping you'd be my date on Saturday night. I would have rather asked you face-to-face, and I really hope you're listening to me, or I'm going to feel rather stupid come morning. I…" He faltered slightly, closing his eyes and steeling himself for what he was about to say. "I love you, Jou…It sounds crazy to you, I'm sure, but I do. If you feel anything at all for me, I'll see you there at 7:00." He sadly pushed himself away from the door and returned to his car, knowing that the next five days would be the longest wait he had ever experienced.

As soon as he heard the brunet leave, Jou moved into the foyer, bent down, and picked up the piece of cardstock. He had very nearly wavered and let the brunet in, but until he could confirm a few things for himself, he didn't want to risk his heart again. And the first thing he needed to do was talk to Yami. He knew it was late, but he also knew he wouldn't sleep otherwise. Hoping against hope that Yugi hadn't yet gone to bed, he called his small friend. After apologizing for disturbing him at such a late hour, he explained what was going on, and asked if he might be able to meet Yami at the coffee shop just down the street from them. The wild-haired man agreed, and said that Yami would be there in fifteen minutes as they had just been getting ready to go to bed. Thanking him profusely and promising he'd find some way to make it up to them both, Jou hurriedly hung up and headed to their rendezvous point.

Yami was there in ten minutes, and as he walked into the café, he stifled a yawn. "I got here as quickly as I could. What's wrong?"

"God, Yami… _everything_ is wrong! I got a call from Marik tonight when I was waiting for Seto, and he was looking for him – he said that the two of them were supposed to meet tonight. He told me that after what happened with Bakura and me in the park, the two of them got together and…well…they had sex." He blushed slightly, and cleared his throat. "I guess he was looking for a repeat performance." 

"Don't tell me you believed him!" Yami asked, his eyes wide with worry.

"N-no…not at first. But Marik – he _knew_ things that he shouldn't have known unless he'd been in Seto's house. I mean, he knew which room was his, he knew the layout of the furniture, and he…" Jou swallowed harshly. "He had me look in a drawer and told me I'd find a tube of lube. And he described it exactly. I didn't want to believe it was true, but I didn't know what else to think, so I left." In frustration, he ran a hand through his hair. "This whole thing is totally fucked up! Seto told me he didn't do anything, but he looks _so_ guilty…"

"Jou," Yami began gently, laying a hand lightly on his friend's arm. "I know it looks pretty damning for Kaiba, but the way you found out seems almost _too_ perfect – orchestrated. I sincerely believe that it's impossible for what Marik alleges to have really happened." He saw the blond's disbelieving look, and when the taller man opened his mouth to protest, Yami held up a hand. "Yugi received a call on his cell phone from Kaiba just as his plane was coming in to land – maybe ten minutes after you'd left, and he said that he needed to talk to me. So, Yugi drove out to the airport and I met him there – that's why he was so late getting home. Kaiba was concerned about Bakura's recent stranger than normal behaviour, and he wanted to make sure that he hadn't tried anything further." A small smile settled on the spirit's lips. "Kaiba told me what Bakura had done, and how he, too, hadn't wanted to believe what he'd witnessed, and how he had, in haste, decided to go away on his trip. All he could talk about was you, Jounouchi. And I sensed no deception from him at all." 

"What did he want to know about Bakura?"

"He's concerned that he and Marik are up to something sinister. I'm inclined to agree." Yami closed his eyes when he felt Yugi's mental prodding to tell Jounouchi about the two spirits, and he silently informed his other half that he couldn't yet – that the time wasn't right. "Just…look at things with your eyes open, Jou. Bakura and Marik are both devious; with one well-phrased word or perfectly timed action, they can make you believe just about anything." He gazed seriously at the blond. "But, you need to talk to Kaiba about this."

"Yami, I can't! Not now! Just before I called you, Seto came by. He told me he didn't do it, but…"

"But?" The wild-haired man arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't even answer the door. He just talked to me through the screen, even though he couldn't see me, hoping that I was listening. He…he left me an invitation to that KaibaCorp thing on Saturday, and he told me he loved me. Fucking Kaiba Seto said he loved me!"

"Oh. That bothers you?"

"Well, no…" Jou murmured, a small grin on his lips as his cheeks pinked ever so slightly. 

"Good." Yami gave him an imperious smile of his own. In the spirit of Jounouchi, he winked at his friend and said, "Then you'd better get a grip, pull your head out of your ass, and decide what you're going to wear. You have five days."

* * *

On the evening of the gala, Seto sighed heavily as his sapphire gaze once again scanned the large ballroom and he fussily smoothed down the jacket of his midnight blue Armani tuxedo. It was after 7:00 and, despite having strategically positioned himself where he could surreptitiously keep an eye on the doorway, he hadn't seen any sign of Jounouchi. Feeling a presence beside him, he turned and saw Otogi's green eyes staring at him. 

"Great party," the raven-haired man drawled as he stifled a yawn. "Sedate music, overpriced art, and more blue hair than you can shake a stick at. You do realize that we're probably the youngest ones here, right?" Ignoring the brunet's slightly offended scowl, he grabbed a canapé off a passing waiter's tray and popped it into his mouth. "At least the food's good."

"You didn't _have_ to come, you know," Seto replied tartly. "I'm sorry you don't find this up to your usual `high standards', but this is a charity auction and dance. It's not a rave." A sarcastic smirk spread across his lips. "Perhaps next time it's your turn to run the event, the Black Crown can host an all-night kegger. Let me know how that works out for you."

Otogi stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, and then a wide grin split his face. "It'd probably be a hell of a lot more fun, and I bet I'd get twice the turnout," he quipped. 

"Only if you charged half the price for the tickets. And I doubt you'd get the additional donations. College students and middle-aged ex-jocks don't exactly have deep pockets." Seto took a sip from the champagne flute he was nursing. "But, like I said, you're welcome to try. I can't wait to see the looks on the senior members' faces when you pitch _that one_ at the next association meeting."

The raven-haired CEO's lips turned down slightly. "Unfortunately, you're probably right. Those guys have no sense of vision – boring and stuffy is the way to go, I guess." He grinned around the rim of his glass and dropped a teasing wink. "At least until _I'm_ in charge."

The brunet snorted into his drink. "And here I thought you had no sense of imagination… Thanks for the laugh; I needed it." His expression sobering, he turned his attention back to the door. "Where's your date?" he asked after a moment, not bothering to look at the other man. "Didn't I see you with some redhead?"

"Oh. Yeah. She's around somewhere…" Otogi gestured offhandedly to the room. "Not that I'm in any great hurry to find her. God, she's pretty enough to look at, but if she tells me one more anecdote about her fucking cats and how wretchedly adorable they are, I'm going to lose it." He glanced thoughtfully at the taller man. "Hey, you're flying solo tonight – maybe I can send her your way! I'm sure you'd hit it off…"

"Don't you dare," Seto replied evenly. "Do it, and I'll see your company bought out and sold off before the end of the next week."

"Aww, come on, Kaiba…learn to take a joke, ne?"

The brunet's lips curved upwards ever so slightly. "Learn to recognize sarcasm when you hear it. And for your information, I'm not `flying solo'. I invited someone."

Otogi gave him a Cheshire-cat grin. "That `someone' wouldn't happen to be Jounouchi, would it?" When the other CEO remained silent, he crowed, "I knew it!" and then pressed, "So where is he?"

"I…don't know. He hasn't arrived yet."

The raven-haired man gave him a sickeningly sympathetic smile as he nodded, and then patted his arm. "If I see him, I'll tell him you're looking for him." Ignoring the snarky, "You do that," Otogi slipped back into the crowd to trail after a waiter carrying a tray of petits fours.

Seto sighed again, gracefully swapping out his empty glass for a fresh one when an attendant passed by. As he took a sip, he caught a glimpse of tri-coloured hair. Turning to the doorway, he saw Yugi enter the room, dressed in a simple, dark navy tuxedo. Frowning studiously, he gave his head a small shake. No, the carriage was too formal, the expression too serious – that was Yami. A small smile crept across his lips; the ancient spirit had to be expecting something for him to be the one to make an appearance. Seto's gaze perked up when he saw the spike-haired man turn to beckon to someone from the doorway, and a wave of intense relief and joy washed over him when he saw Jounouchi step into the room behind him. The blond was dressed in a two-button black tuxedo and a crisp, white shirt with a mandarin collar. He looked, in a word, stunning. Setting his glass down on a side table, the brunet made his way over to where the blond stood, and let his eyes travel slowly over the lithe form. "You look very becoming tonight."

"Thanks," Jou replied, a pleased flush on his cheeks. "So do you. And sorry we're late. First Yami and Yugi got into it about who would be the one technically `going', and then, after Yami won, we had to wait for him to find his damned shoes." He eyed Yami accusingly, the wild-haired man saying nothing before slinking off to mingle. 

"It doesn't matter," Seto said quietly as he drew the shorter man into a tentative hug, tightening the embrace when he felt the blond melt against him. "I'm just glad you came." A small frown settled on his forehead. "And I swear, I don't know where that…item…came from, but there is _nothing_ going on between Marik and me."

"I know, Seto," Jou replied as he slowly released his hold on the brunet. "Let's just say I was set straight. And, I'm sorry for thinking otherwise. I should have known – Seto, what is it?" Jou furrowed his brow in concern when he saw the sapphire eyes go impossibly wide. Turning in the other's arms and following his gaze, he narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Fuck…"

Bakura, his bruising now completely disappeared, sidled over to where the pair stood, a stunning ginger-haired man on his arm. "Fancy meeting you here," he purred. "Have you met my escort for the evening? This delectable creature is Sohda Eiji. Although, I think he may already know Kaiba…quite intimately." A leering smirk spread across his lips, widening considerably when he saw the slightly discomfited expressions on both Seto's and Jou's faces.

Sohda's aqua-coloured eyes settled on the brunet, and as his scowl deepened, he flicked his gaze over to the blond. "So, you're the flavour of the month, are you?" he sneered, the contempt in his voice directed primarily at Seto. "You _do_ know you're nothing to him, ne? I mean, after all, you're just another conquest to be had, another name in his little, black book. And, once he's fucked you, he'll up and leave you and move on to the next one – like he did to me. Isn't that right, Kaiba-sama?" Narrowing his eyes, he turned his furious gaze to the brunet. "Remember our little soirée? You came, and then you left."

"That's not the way it is with us!" Jou growled defensively. "Bakura, take your toy, fuck off, and leave us alone!"

"Right," Sohda purred icily. "Tell me then, have the two of you –"

"That's none of your fucking business!" Jou snapped, glaring warningly at Bakura's date.

"Alright then; I'll take that as a no. And I'm assuming that this is the first `event' you've been to? Mark my words; if you give in to him, come morning, you're going to find yourself alone."

"I'll try to remember that," the blond quipped coolly as he took Seto's hand and led them away from the other couple. Once they were on the other side of the hall, he looked up at the strangely silent brunet, a tiny seed of doubt entering his mind as he contemplated the other's words. That couldn't really be all that he was, could it? Immediately, he chastised himself for even _contemplating_ such a thing, and then cursed loudly when he saw Marik slinking over to them, a dark-haired woman on his arm.

"What a surprise to see the two of you here," the fair-haired Egyptian drawled conversationally. "I'm glad to see you've gotten over me so quickly, Kaiba. But then again, you seem to do that rather well, ne?" A smug smile settled across his face as he looked at his escort, and he said, "This is Dazai Hoshi. When I told her I was going to Kaiba's party, she was _more_ than anxious to come. But you know all about that, don't you, Kaiba?" Marik's brow creased when he saw Jounouchi studying him curiously, a confused expression on his face. "What?"

"I'm just getting a really strange feeling of déja vu, that's all," Jou said as he stared impassively at the platinum-haired man. "What the fuck's going on, Marik? What are you and Bakura up to?"

"Bakura?" Marik echoed incredulously, blanching slightly when he saw the equally astonished white-haired spirit behind Seto, his shock quickly turning to anger. "Nothing at all," he growled, narrowing his eyes spitefully as he stormed over to where his partner-in-crime stood, dragging his very surprised date behind him. "Bakura, you fucking _idiot_!" he seethed, loosing an enraged snarl and then grabbing him by the wrist and hauling him off, presumably to `discuss' his displeasure over the situation.

As soon as the two spirits were gone, Seto turned to the blond, his mouth turned down into a slight scowl. "We need to find Yami. I suspect he knows more about what's happening than he's let on, and he's the one person here who can clear this little mystery up for us," he stated. Holding tightly to Jou's hand, he began to circle the room, his sharp eyes seeking out any sign of the wild-haired man. Finally he spotted him, browsing the various items up for auction. "Yami?" When the spirit turned, Seto looked seriously at him. "We want to know what's going on. All of it."

Blushing slightly, Yami nodded, moving to a more secluded alcove so they could speak reasonably privately. Looking from one man to the other, he began, "It seems that the two of you are the major players in an ordained prophecy." He paused when Seto snorted, and the former pharaoh shook his head in amusement. Quickly, he explained the ancient use of astronomy, and how it was a very rare event for all three heavenly bodies to be aligned during the Festival of the Dead. He then told them about how the two guardians had corporeal representations that served as keys. "Believe it or not, Jounouchi represents a great hunter, and you, Kaiba, are the mighty dragon." At this, the brunet puffed up a bit, now a little more willing to listen. "When the gate is open on that night, there is a judgement. Those found deserving are returned to the living in their own bodies. Those who are not are destroyed. Bakura and Marik know that they are unworthy, and are working to make sure that the two of you don't succeed in opening the gate."

"That makes sense now," Seto mused, his gaze hardening as his mouth turned down further. "Those two morons have been behind everything that has been going on over the last little while. The pranks have been childish, with just enough malevolence behind them." He turned his eyes back to the spike-haired man. "Why do they persist? Jounouchi and I are together; it should be over, ne?"

Yami cleared his throat and smiled softly. "It's not _quite_ that simple, Kaiba. You see, the hunter must uh…tame the dragon." He gave Seto a toothy grin and winked lewdly.

"I see," the brunet replied stiffly as he glanced over at the blond, who had found a sudden interest in his fingernails and was sporting a slight pink tinge on his cheeks. He himself was fighting a blush of his own as his mind immediately conjured up a myriad of tantalizing images involving Jounouchi riding the Dragon.

The blond coughed quietly, and as he looked into his friend's face, he asked, "Not for nothing, Yami, but if you knew all this shit was going on, why didn't you run interference for us once you'd figured out what Bakura and Marik were up to? Maybe slap them upside the head for being a couple of idiots?"

The former pharaoh's smile widened and his crimson eyes sparkled mischievously. "That wouldn't have been fair to you and Kaiba if I had interfered and tried to force you together. You had to do it on your own or else there would always be a sense of uncertainty between the two of you once you found out what had happened – and I _knew_ you would find out one way or another. You'd wonder if you were together because you had truly wanted it, or because I had guided your hand. The same goes for my seeming inaction with Bakura and Marik. You two needed to know that you could weather the discord they had created. My role was simply to serve as an advisor and to offer my counsel when you requested it. I'm sorry for the slight deception, but in the long run, I believe it was the lesser of two evils. However, now that you both know what the two of them are capable of, you can keep an eye out for yourselves." He let his gaze travel slowly from Jounouchi to Seto and back. "That said, you know the truth behind everything, what you do with it is up to you." Nodding deferentially to them, Yami took his leave, having spotted Otogi and heading off to talk to him.

Once they were alone, Jou turned to the brunet and said, "Seto, I'm sorry for not believing you. About everything. In my heart, I knew you wouldn't have done those things, but for a change, I followed my head." He gave the taller man a crooked grin. "That's what I get for listening to my brain, ne?"

Seto chuckled as he drew the blond into his arms. "Don't start with that. You know you're intelligent. Sometimes we're so sure that something is the truth, we get fixated and can't look past it. I'm just as guilty as you are; I'm glad you trusted me enough over the past month or so to stick with me."

Jou stared deeply into the intense, sapphire eyes, all the hurt and mistrust of the past slowly dissolving away. "Seto…the other night, when you were at my house, were you serious when you said you loved me?"

The brunet felt his breath catch in his throat at Jou's question. He gazed for several, long moments into the soft amber pools, and swallowing harshly, he nodded slowly. "Yes, Jounouchi. Yes I was." Licking his suddenly dry lips he pressed, "So, what do you think about that?"

"I think I want to hear you say it again," the blond purred as he circled his arms around the taller man's waist and leaned slightly into him.

Seto let his eyes sink closed, as if to centre himself, and when he opened them again, he once again locked onto Jou's eyes. His voice was barely a whisper as he murmured, "I love you."

"Mmm…I like the sound of that," Jou replied, his voice soft and husky. Peering up at him almost shyly through his long, golden lashes he said, "I love you, too, and I want to prove it to you."

"You don't have to prove anything to me," Seto said. "I won't have us dictated to by some ancient prophecy's timeline. When the time is right, we'll both know it. Until then, I just want to enjoy you as fully as I can. And the first thing I plan on doing is finally giving you a proper kiss." He brought both of his hands up to cup the blond's cheeks and he slowly lowered his lips to Jou's, pressing them together tenderly for a moment, and then lightly skating his tongue across his bottom one, seeking entry. When the shorter man gasped softly, he slipped the questing muscle inside, his entire body tingling in pleasure as he languidly explored the moist heat. He felt whole, complete – and now that he had found what he'd been seeking for so long, he would be hard pressed to ever let it go.

Jou mewled softly into the brunet's mouth, and he felt a bolt of electricity shoot down his spine. In that one perfect, exquisite moment, he knew that he, too, had found what he had been looking for. As he pulled away from the kiss, he gazed up at the other man through half-lidded eyes. "Make love to me, Seto," he breathed against his lips.

With a sigh, the brunet shook his head. "No, I can't; not tonight. With everything that's happened here this evening, I won't do it. I don't want you to _ever_ equate yourself with one of my past conquests, and I don't want you to come to regret your decision in the morning."

"Seto, I don't care that you went after those others! I know it's different between us!" the blond pled.

A small, sad smile settled on the taller man's lips. "Truth be told, Jounouchi, I never went after them, and I never asked for it. They offered, and in desperation, I took the comfort that went with it, however brief and fleeting." He saw the amber eyes widen at the revelation, and with a soft chuckle, he brushed the bangs from the other's eyes. "I'm serious. Both of us are running on our emotions now; come tomorrow, if you still want to, then we will."

They spent the rest of the evening in each other's company, talking and laughing and sharing sweet kisses and deeper embraces. At the end of the night, Jou looked at the brunet and asked shyly, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

Pulling the blond into his arms and covering his cheeks and lips with lavish kisses, Seto replied quietly, "No…but I'd like it if you stayed with me."

* * *

Just after dawn the next morning, Seto cracked open one eye when he heard the creak of his bedroom door. A soft smile settled on his lips when he saw Jounouchi's sheepish wince as he carefully closed it behind him, and he couldn't resist a quiet chuckle as the blond gingerly crept his way across the carpet to his bed. "You don't have to tiptoe; I'm awake." He laughed louder when Jou jumped in fright. His smile widened as his gaze roved across the pyjama-clad form, and he said, "Good morning."

"Hey," the blond replied congenially in greeting as he grabbed the corner of the duvet and slid between the sheets. Propping himself up on one elbow, he turned to look at the brunet, a shy smile on his face. "It's tomorrow." Gently, he reached out and brushed the sleep-tousled bangs from Seto's eyes, and then leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. "And I still want to."

"Are you sure?" Seto shifted his position so he could sit up a bit and he lightly stroked one hand down Jou's cheek, trailing the fingers along his jaw and down his throat. As he brought his hand around to Jou's side, he brushed against one nipple before finally bringing it to rest on the blond's hip. He heard the smaller man's sharp intake of breath, and he proceeded no further.

Swallowing harshly, the blond nodded, finding himself unable to speak. Just that simple caress had awoken something deep inside him, and had left him feeling slightly overwhelmed and aching for more. "Please," he managed to murmur, staring into the brunet's eyes, his own amber gaze dark with want and smouldering with unspoken love.

Seto nodded in return, sitting up more fully and drawing Jou into his arms. He started off slowly, pressing soft kisses against his eyelids, his cheeks, and his lips as his hands slipped under the blond's t-shirt, his palms pressing firmly against the smooth skin of his back. He could feel his body responding, and as he deepened his kisses, once again savouring the sweet flavour of Jou's mouth, his fingers began to firmly massage and caress.

The blond mewled into the embrace, slowly trailing his hand down to brush against the brunet's prominent erection, his own need evident against the fabric of the sleep pants he wore.

The taller man loosed a low, appreciative growl from deep in his throat, and as he pulled away from Jou's lips, he tugged the blond into a semi-sitting position and quickly removed his shirt. His eyes roved hungrily across the exposed flesh, a carnal, wanton glint sparkling in the dark, sapphire depths.

Jou shivered slightly, both from the coolness of the room and the intensity of the other's stare. He groaned loudly when the brunet lowered his head and took one small, pink bud into his mouth, suckling it gently and then nipping, only to soothe the sting of the bite with his tongue. When his other nipple was given the same attention, he cried out and arched into the touch as a lightning bolt of pleasure shot down his spine and settled in his groin. "Oh, God!" he breathed, his desire for the other man increasing when Seto trailed his hands down to Jou's waistband, the brunet's mouth finding purchase on his collarbone and lavishing it with light scrapes of his teeth and gentle presses of his lips. The smaller man's hands fisted in the soft, auburn tresses, and with a guttural moan, he let his eyes slide closed as he tipped his head back to give Seto freer access.

Slowly, the brunet pulled away, his own breathing harsh and ragged. Locking gazes with the blond, he hooked his thumbs under the elastic of Jou's pants and slid them down his body in one, fluid movement. A licentious groan escaped him as he licked his lips wolfishly and stared unabashedly at the tantalizing sight in his bed. Hurriedly, he unbuttoned his pyjama shirt and tossed it carelessly aside, and then removed his pants. Stretching out languorously beside the other man as he pulled him down beside him, he felt the heat from their naked bodies as he ghosted his hand across Jou's skin – close enough to brush the fine, golden hair covering him, yet not actually touching him. Smiling when the blond let out a contented purr, he continued his exploration of the tanned, taut body, his long fingers deftly encircling Jounouchi's erection and stroking lightly against the velvety skin. Jou immediately arched his hips up into the touch, and as Seto claimed his mouth in a fiery kiss, he realized that the blond would be the first lover he'd ever taken under his own roof. His hand slid lower, caressing the other man's thigh, and when Jou mewled wantonly as he lightly probed between his cheeks, the brunet realized that the notion didn't bother him one bit.

Tongues twined and hands continued to explore, and when they finally came up for air, the blond nipped playfully at the brunet's bottom lip and purred, "More…"

Seto gave him a soft smile before he slipped out of bed and padded to his ensuite. He returned a moment later carrying a bottle of hand cream, a dampened cloth, and a small towel, all of which he set on the nightstand as he climbed back into bed. Turning back into the blond's arms, he once again claimed the hot mouth offered to him, thoroughly ravaging the moist heat with his tongue. The brunet was pleased when Jou moaned lowly and then chased the kiss back into his mouth. 

When Seto pulled away, he rolled over just enough to reach the bottle, and he squirted a generous portion of the thick, creamy liquid onto his fingers. He nudged Jou's thighs slightly apart with his knee, and this time he found the small pucker between his cheeks and began to carefully rub the lotion in. He traced around the opening with his index finger, and then pressed it past the barrier, his eyebrows arching in surprise when the digit easily slipped right in. Looking at the blond's face, he could see the love and trust in the amber eyes, and he could feel his own excitement grow. Slowly, he withdrew the finger, immediately adding a second and stroking along the satiny lining of Jou's passage, biting back a lusty growl as he revelled in the searing heat. Returning to nip and suckle hungrily at the slender throat, Seto worked on carefully stretching and relaxing the tight ring, a pleased chuckle escaping his lips when he nudged the small bump deep inside the blond that caused him to cry out in ecstasy. He brushed the sensitive area a few more times, and then gently removed his fingers, once again reaching for the bottle of lotion. 

This time, the brunet coated his shaft with the rich cream, hissing softly at the feel of the cool balm against his heated skin. Shifting his position, he knelt between Jou's knees, nudging his legs further apart as he lined the tip of his cock up with his opening and pressed slowly forward.

The blond grunted softly when Seto first entered him, his discomfort quickly changing to pleasure as he was filled by the brunet's long, thick length. Mewling in rapture at their joining, he arched his hips and wrapped his arms around the other man's neck, trying to draw him in deeper. He could feel Seto's low, contented growl rumbling against his chest as he thrust into him with a few long, penetrating strokes, and then the brunet's hands slipped under him and lifted him up slightly, flipping them both over so that Jounouchi was on top.

Jou moaned loudly at the change in position, tentatively rising up on his knees and then dropping back down onto the other man's cock, crying out in bliss at the hundreds of little shockwaves that radiated through his body. Again, he lifted himself up, sinking back onto his heels in a slow, languorous movement. He could feel the familiar heat building in his stomach and slowly spreading towards his groin, and with a lustful groan, he increased his pace, driving down hard onto Seto's shaft, one hand toying with a slightly bruised nipple, the other wrapping around his length and pumping in time with the rhythm he'd set.

The brunet swallowed thickly at the vision of eroticism that was Jounouchi. He rested his hands on the blond's hips, pressing him down harder onto his cock as he arched his body up, giving him the extra stimulation that would help bring him to completion. He felt Jou's body tense, and with the extra friction against his shaft, he was unable to hold himself back. With a harsh rasp of the blond's name, he snapped his hips up, his release pulsing deep inside Jou's passage.

Almost simultaneously, Jou, too, reached his climax, and as he sobbed out the brunet's name, he came hard, pulse after pulse of his seed coating his fist and dribbling down onto Seto's chest and stomach. Panting harshly, he collapsed forward, lifting his ass slightly to let the other man's member slip from him as he covered Seto's face with sweet, adoring kisses. "I love you," he whispered against the brunet's lips, a small smile spreading across his face. "That was fucking amazing."

Seto didn't respond right away. He wore a contented expression, and for the first time ever, he felt _good_ afterwards. Complete. Satisfied. Gazing up at the blond through half-lidded eyes, he murmured, "It certainly was." Reluctantly, he shifted Jounouchi to the side, reaching for the cloth. Meticulously, he cleansed the remains of their passion from the blond's hand and body, and then from himself, and then gently patted them both dry with the towel. Tossing them both onto the floor, he stretched out lazily on his pillow and drew the other man into his arms. Pressing a soft kiss to Jou's forehead, he said quietly, "I love you, too." He sighed happily when the blond nestled deeper into his chest, and as he folded his arms around his lover, he felt the smaller man drift off into a peaceful slumber. After a few moments of listening to the soft, rhythmic breathing, he, too, felt sleep overtake him.

Comfortable and at ease in each other's arms, they stayed like that until sometime later that afternoon.


	5. Chapter Five

It was beyond dark – it was pitch-black. Despite the brightness of the full moon, ominous shadows engulfed everything and, save for a pair of glowing, emerald eyes, nothing could be seen. Standing silently on a platform, waiting, were the three spirits. Two of them were trying to maintain their composure, while the third stood proudly, watching as the eyes approached them. The inkiness waned, and in the moonlight, the imposing figure was revealed – a tall, dark-skinned, stocky man with the head of an ibis. In his hands, he carried a scribe's reed and a palette, upon which he would occasionally write. The glowing receded, and the god's small eyes moved in turn from Bakura to Marik to Yami.

"I am Thoth. The gate has been opened; tonight, by the light of the full moon, judgement awaits." The voice was booming, yet the god's mouth never moved. The words seemed to be spoken directly into their heads.

"And what happens if we refuse to accept your judgement?" Bakura asked brashly, only to receive a warning elbow to the stomach from Marik.

"Refuse?" The god tipped his head to the side and studied the white-haired spirit curiously. "There is no refusing. It has been ordained. Not even the pharaohs can overrule the prophesy." Thoth made a notation on his tablet, and with a wave of his hand, the four beings found themselves in the Hall of Ma'at.

The walls, floor and ceiling were all made of fine, white marble, and the moonlight reflected off the gleaming surfaces, illuminating the room as if it were day. In the center was a large set of brass scales, beside which sat a small table with a tiny, gold chest upon it. Skulking around the balance, licking her chops in anticipation, was Ammut.

"Please, Thoth," she purred, her voice sounding like a raspy hiss in their minds. "Let the judgement begin. I'm hungry, and it has been so long since I've last eaten." Her beady, black eyes settled on the three spirits and a nasty, toothy grin stretched across her face.

Marik paled visibly as he watched the strange demon goddess slink around the base of the scales like some sort of grotesque cat and then settle on her haunches beside the table. "I'm not an ancient soul like those two," he murmured. "I'm a manifestation of my host's mind. I shouldn't be here!"

Thoth turned to him, his small, bird-like eyes staring at him assessingly. "You are an abomination, but a part of his soul resides in you. And the blood of Egypt runs through your veins." He glanced down at his palette and nodded slowly. "Your name appears in the ledger; you will be judged." Turning to the scales, he held his arms open wide and, looking skyward, he commanded, "Ma'at, goddess of truth, come forward so you may judge these servants of Ra!"

An icy wind blew through the chamber as a tiny tempest swirled violently on one of the balance pans. When it had settled down, a radiant goddess with a cloak of ostrich feathers sat there, her body weight having no effect on the scale. She slid gracefully to her feet, nodding reverently to Thoth, her summoner and husband. "Who is to be first, my lord?" she asked, her voice sultry and resonant.

Thoth turned to the three spirits. "Who wishes to be judged first?"

Yami stepped forward, his chest thrust out proudly, chin high. "I will; I have nothing to hide."

"Brazen one, aren't you?" Ammut hissed, a sinister smile creeping across her lips as she snapped her jaws at him. 

The wild-haired spirit didn't even flinch when he felt the sharp teeth graze his hand. He simply stared resolutely at Thoth.

The ibis-headed god made a notation on his tablet and then walked over to the gold box. Reaching inside, he pulled out a small athame and a shallow, round plate. Approaching the former pharaoh, he made a small gash in Yami's right hand and collected five drops of blood on the plate. "As spirits, you have no heart, but from your right hand flows your life-force," Thoth murmured as he picked up a small reed from the box and mixed the five drops of blood together, then passed the plate and reed to Ma'at. 

Kneeling before one of the pans on the scale, she drew a pentagram, the symbol of the afterlife, with Yami's blood and watched as the balance tipped down on that end. She then plucked a single plume from her cloak and held it out. "If your soul is not heavier than this feather, you have passed my test and may return to the realm of men." Turning to the other pan, she laid the small object upon it and stepped away. For a moment, it seemed as if nothing would happen, and then, very slowly, the balance came into equilibrium.  
Smiling softly at the crimson-eyed man, she murmured, "You have passed the test. When you leave this hall, you will once again be mortal."

Ammut snapped her jaws at him as he passed to stand beside Thoth, hissing at him in obvious displeasure. When Yami still remained unfazed, she turned her attention to the other two.

Bakura and Marik looked nervously at each other while they waited for Thoth to call on them. Neither one wanted to go next, for they both knew that they had little hope of passing the test. Still, once they had learned that Seto and Jounouchi had succeeded in opening the gate, they had spent their remaining three days on earth doing every good deed they could imagine. In their hearts, they knew that these token gestures would hardly atone for years of malignant behaviour, or in Bakura's case, millennia. Still, the stench of desperation had befallen them, and as they had kissed babies and helped old ladies cross the street, they'd clung tenaciously to the hope that maybe, by some miracle, they would be able to fool the gods.

Finally, Thoth asked for the next soul to come forward. When neither moved, he informed them that if they did not comply, they would forfeit the judgement and be summarily handed over to Ammut. This arrangement pleased the demon goddess immensely and she practically purred as she nuzzled her long snout against the god's hand, a feral glint in her cold, black eyes.

"Fucking pansy," Marik whispered to Bakura as he swallowed harshly and stepped forward. Again, Thoth approached him with the sharp athame, and repeated the ritual, handing the plate over to Ma'at. She plucked a new feather to replace the one she had used for Yami, and then she drew a new pentagram on the pan and stepped back. The side with Marik's blood dropped like a rock, and the platinum-haired spirit's violet eyes went wide in terror when Ammut gave a growl of delight and fixed him with a malevolent gaze as she stalked toward him.

"I'm sorry," Ma'at said kindly, "But you have failed the test." 

"Don't bother," Bakura growled when Thoth turned back to him. "If he couldn't pass your test, then I hardly think _I_ will. You can shove your `judgement ceremony'. I've spent the last three days grovelling and acting like some do-gooding imbecile to curry your favour, and it disgusted me. I'll be damned if you think I'm going to leave this world on my knees and begging you for mercy." Defiantly, he glared at the god, arms folded across his chest, his shadow powers rising up around him. His cockiness wavered somewhat when the deity turned to him, his small, emerald eyes flaring in anger as he drew himself up to his full height. Slowly, he approached the white-haired spirit, towering over him as he glared down at him furiously. 

"Insolence!" Thoth sneered, the magical energies radiating off of his body in great crimson and violet wisps. His eyes now luminous enough to cast their own, eerie glow over the room, he stared icily down at Bakura. "I _created_ the shadow powers and magic in general; do you really think you are capable of challenging _me_?" Holding out his arms, he tipped his head skyward and opened his beak, a sharp, shrill note piercing the night.

Bakura's eyes widened when he felt himself pushed back by magical energies into an invisible post of some sort. His hands were then jerked over his head of their own accord, and he could feel some type of unseen bindings lashing him in place. The cords criss-crossed his body, finally wrapping around his ankles and holding him securely. Once again settling his gaze on the white-haired spirit, Thoth said coldly, "Ammut, this one is yours, too."

The demon goddess looked up from where she had been feasting on Marik's body and licked her bloodied snout. With a diabolical chuckle she slunk over to where the bound spirit stood, rearing up on her stubby hind legs to rest her front paws on his chest. "Thank you, Thoth, for the gift. This one I shall savour!" As her powerful jaws clamped tightly around his torso, Bakura screamed.

* * *

Jounouchi's vision slowly cleared as he came down from his orgasm, their joint cries of completion still echoing off the walls as he gazed into the deep, blue eyes above him. Still panting breathlessly, a wide smile spread across his face as he pulled his lover down to him for a sweet, tender kiss. "Mmm…so good," he purred as he lazily licked along his bottom lip.

Carefully, Seto eased himself from the blond and stretched out beside him, idly tracing random patterns along his arms and torso as he smiled sleepily at the other man. "Hn…yes, you were," he agreed, once again claiming the already kiss-swollen lips in an embrace. With a contented sigh, he rested his head on his forearm and continued his feather-light caresses.

"Seto, it's the 4th. Do you think Yami got his body back?"

"I don't know, Jou. I guess we'll find out soon enough; I'm sure Yugi will call you one way or another in the morning."

"Yeah, that's probably true. I hope so; for both of them. It'll be nice for them to actually be able to touch one another." Reflexively, he turned slightly onto his side and began to tenderly stroke his fingers along the brunet's bicep and shoulder. He grinned when he saw Seto's eyes slide closed and heard the soft, pleasured growl. He followed the line of the brunet's jaw, and lightly brushed along the curve of one eyebrow. "I hope Malik and Ryou are ok after all of this."

"I would imagine so. It wasn't their souls on the line; those two are still alive. And Yami said Yugi had barely noticed when the gate had opened. I'd think that it was the same for those two – a minor inconvenience at worst."

"What about Marik and Bakura? Do you think they're really gone for good?"

Blinking his eyes open, Seto looked at Jounouchi and gave an indifferent shrug. "I couldn't care less…but good riddance if they are." When the blond chuckled softly, he asked, "Don't tell me you'd miss them…"

"No, I wouldn't. I just love how you're not afraid to say what you think."

"Hn…see if you still think that in a couple of months," he replied as he slipped out of bed and moved to draw them a bath. As soon as he came back into the room, a mischievous smirk curved across his lips and he gave the blond a teasing wink. "You do know that Sirius is also known as the Dog Star, ne? I guess I wasn't _that_ far from the truth when I used to call you that."

Jou's eyes widened in horror for a moment, and then a slow, lazy grin settled on his face. "Yeah…that's ok. It makes up part of Orion, the Great Hunter." His grin widening, he padded over to where the brunet stood and snaked his arms around the taller man's waist, pressing himself against the smooth, warm skin. "And maybe I'm wrong, but I think I just caught myself a dragon."


End file.
